The latest stats show Canadians are continuing to avoid travel to the United States.
“When I hear that, what I think about is all the businesses that will be impacted, the jobs that won’t be able to be held on to, all the lost revenue for the local governments that benefit from that level of economic activity,” Washington state’s lieutenant-governor Denny Heck told Global News.
“And finally, I think about, oh boy, this is an unforced error. This didn’t have to be.”
Return trips to the United States were down almost 24 per cent year-over-year in November, which continues a trend from the same month in 2024.
Even with a Seattle Seahawks playoff game in Seattle this weekend, few vehicles were heading south at both the Peace Arch and Sumas border crossings on Friday afternoon.
“Look, here’s the bottom line,” Heck said.
“Washingtonians love Canadians. They, I especially love people from British Columbia. We feel such a long-standing, deep kinship with the people of British Columbia.
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“And we look forward to the day when, frankly, we can be more like it used to be in terms of that mutual respect and affection. Affection which we’ve never lost.”
In an effort to draw Canadians back, a number of hotels in Las Vegas are honouring the Canadian dollar at par.
The Circa Resort & Casino, the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, all located in downtown Las Vegas, will receive the Canadian dollar at par rate, with proof of Canadian citizenship.
But even that may not be enough to lure Canadian travellers back.
“The World Travel and Tourism Council said that the U.S. is projected to lose about $12.5 billion in international visitor spending in 2025, which is a massive number and the U.S. was the only country out of 184 in the study they did that had a decline in international visitor spending last year,” travel expert Claire Newell told Global News.
Heck said that ahead of the FIFA World Cup this year, he hopes people will cross the border to see the games and support the local economies.
“It’s a huge global event,” he said.
“I want to encourage all Washingtonians to go north to see the games that are there. And all my friends in British Columbia, come south to see games that’re here.”
Heck added that he knows Canadians are understandably very angry.
“Washingtonians are very, very heartbroken. Our state is an enormously popular vacation destination as well and we’re hurting all our small businesses.”
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