Joe Koenen has not seen a single Toronto Blue Jays baseball hat all summer time.
Usually, Canadians will flood the streets of Seattle through the summer time, however Koenen, who runs Seattle Free Strolling Excursions (the place folks pay what they will), stated Canadian vacationers are nearly gone. Streets look emptier to him.
Canadians calling to cancel their excursions “explicitly informed me that it was due to the insurance policies and the habits of our present president,” he stated.
Because of seeing 30% fewer prospects this yr general, Koenen has been paying his workers however not himself. That is additionally the primary yr since he took over the tour firm in 2021 that he has needed to put his personal financial savings into the enterprise to maintain it afloat.
“I’m super-duper indignant. I’m additionally upset, however I’m extra unhappy … it’s such a self-inflicted damage,” Koenen stated.
One other Seattle tour operator, John Brink, stated “normally you kill it that weekend,” referring to the annual Could collection between the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. However the foot site visitors wasn’t there this yr. The Blue Jays are Canada’s solely Main League Baseball crew, so whereas the crew relies in Toronto, many followers from Western Canada passionately sport their Blue Jays gear after they come to Seattle every summer time.
Brink’s firm, Tasty Excursions, which guides guests via meals stalls within the historic Pike Place Market, has seen a 50% drop in Canadian prospects.
Many Canadians have boycotted taking US journeys and shopping for American merchandise for the reason that spring. That’s when President Trump made false claims and belittling feedback about Canada within the midst of a tariff conflict.
The absence of Canadians has been felt acutely in the US, particularly in cities like Seattle near the northern border. And Canadians aren’t the one worldwide vacationers skipping the US. Another worldwide vacationers have additionally named latest insurance policies round tariffs and immigration as causes they’re staying away.
After a promising estimate in December by analytics firm Tourism Economics that the US would see about 9% progress in general worldwide visitation in 2025, the corporate’s up to date outlook now estimates an 8.2% decline, led by about one quarter fewer Canadians visiting the US from January to July, in comparison with the identical interval in 2024.
The World Journey and Tourism Council, a worldwide tourism advocacy group, projected in Could that the US will lose $12.5 billion in worldwide customer spending in 2025, the one nation out of 184 economies the council analyzed that can see a decline this yr.
John Brink offers a tour in Seattle. His firm, Tasty Excursions, has seen a giant drop in Canadian prospects. – Courtesy John Brink
‘Heading within the flawed course’
And that ache may stretch past this yr. Rob Hawkins, from the UK, modified plans he and his spouse had for a 20-day spring 2026 journey to the US to go to South Korea and Japan as an alternative.
“America to me is rock ‘n roll, NASA, pace, jazz, horses, bourbon, hip hop, dance, MTV (the unique), Hollywood, gold medals, innovation, energy, respectful (sic) and apple pie,” Hawkins informed CNN in an e-mail. “Not the military on the streets and the acute division presently on present,” he stated, referring to the Nationwide Guard presence in Los Angeles throughout immigration raids and in Washington D.C. to take federal management of the native police pressure.
The Hawkins’ determination to keep away from the US for now could be one echoed throughout social media by others all over the world.
“It’s unparalleled,” stated Didier Arino, normal director of journey consulting agency Protourisme in France, about an unprecedented drop in curiosity for journey to the US.
“It’s occurred earlier than in a rustic at conflict, in a rustic the place there was a safety threat, or threat of well being disaster, however in a standard state of affairs, we’ve by no means seen this type of turnaround,” Arino informed CNN within the spring.
Past citing fears of being questioned on the border, or normal opposition to the Trump administration’s insurance policies, guests from some nations are actually going through an added upfront price of $250 for a brand new “visa integrity charge.”
“It is a wake-up name for the U.S. authorities. The world’s greatest Journey & Tourism financial system is heading within the flawed course, not due to a scarcity of demand, however due to a failure to behave,” stated Julia Simpson, World Journey and Tourism Council president & CEO, in an announcement.
“Whereas different nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. authorities is placing up the ‘closed’ signal … That is about progress within the U.S. financial system — it’s doable, nevertheless it wants management from DC,” Simpson stated.
Members of the Nationwide Guard patrol contained in the Lincoln Memorial on the Nationwide Mall in Washington, DC, on August 29. Some worldwide vacationers have expressed concern about their presence. – Win McNamee/Getty Pictures
‘It’s not simply me’
For Brink, the Tasty Excursions proprietor in Seattle, American cruise ship passengers coming via town have considerably offset the loss in worldwide vacationers.
Nonetheless, “I personally suppose with out the tariffs and the rhetoric and all that nonsense that we might all have made means far more cash this yr,” Brink stated.
Adam Duford, proprietor of Surf Metropolis Excursions in Santa Monica, California, has been feeling the ache of a tourism downturn, too.
“Spring break by no means occurred,” stated Duford. “Memorial Day didn’t occur both.”
Duford’s enterprise of working 13-passenger van excursions via Hollywood, Malibu and Venice, took a dive this yr due to geopolitical forces, catastrophic wildfires and misinformation.
He informed CNN that prospects had been calling to cancel as a result of that they had seen a pretend picture on social media of the Hollywood signal burning down. (It — and all of Hollywood — remains to be there.) Duford factors to misinformation concerning the January Los Angeles fires, and later, a misperception that protests over immigration raids had taken over the entire metropolis, as examples of why some folks stayed away.
Total, his income is down 49% this yr. Duford thought this might need been an issue particular to Los Angeles occasions. However he has additionally seen that his typical Canadian buyer base that comes throughout their spring break didn’t present up this yr and discovered of companies in different cities additionally hurting from lack of vacationers.
“It’s laborious to be indignant, as a result of it’s not simply me,” he stated. “For all the guarantees of a very good financial system — and possibly folks had been pondering, ‘we’ll sacrifice some tradition conflict issues for this good financial system that’s going to return from this administration.’ It doesn’t appear to be that’s occurring.”
Previous to the newest challenges, worldwide tourism to the US had but to completely recuperate after the pandemic. Final yr, the 72.4 million guests from different nations represented 91% of pre-pandemic 2019 figures, in response to the US Nationwide Journey and Tourism Workplace.
Tourism Economics, which tracks knowledge on home and worldwide tourism, now initiatives {that a} full restoration to pre-pandemic ranges gained’t occur till 2029 — three years later than it initially projected.
Home tourism has not been robust sufficient to make up for the loss, in response to Tourism Economics.
Adam Duford, proprietor of Surf Metropolis Excursions, poses in considered one of his tour vans in Santa Monica, California, on March 23, 2020. This yr’s tourism drop has affected his enterprise. – Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Pictures
Neighbors to the north going south
Canadians turning away from the US is especially worrisome.
Extra Canadians go to the US than guests from some other nation, in response to the Nationwide Journey and Tourism Workplace. Canadians made up about 28% of whole worldwide customer arrivals in 2024.
As a substitute of going to the US, “we’re seeing Canadian journey start to raise towards Mexico, to the Caribbean, even towards Europe in latest knowledge,” stated Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics.
“I do suppose as soon as we flip into the colder months … it might be troublesome to maintain this kind of drop. I believe that there can be a little bit of a bounce. However so long as the rhetoric round this — like Canada turning into a 51st state — so long as that continues, I believe you’re going to see a reasonably ongoing response from Canadians.”
Airways have adjusted by altering routes that had been sure for the US. There have been about 90,200 fewer airline seats accessible to ebook from Canada to the US from April 1 to June 30, in comparison with the identical quarter final yr, in response to knowledge from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.
It’s no surprise that Koenen and Brink are seeing so few Canadians in Seattle: Tourism Economics estimates Seattle will lose greater than 1 / 4 of its worldwide guests this yr, largely attributable to Canadians staying away.
“That’s actually a tough factor. I believe what we see as our alternative is to only stand and be able to welcome our associates from Canada again when the time is true. The time just isn’t proper but,” stated Michael Woody, chief technique officer for Go to Seattle.
Mike Mondello, who owns “Made in Washington” shops within the Seattle area that includes merchandise by native artists and producers, stated he realized through the spring information cycle that “that is going to be a distinct yr.”
Undoubtedly, he stated the “softening” of enterprise at his downtown retailer has been disappointing. However Mondello stated “time heals all.”
“You gained’t get up on a Monday and say, ‘Wow, issues have modified.’ It’ll hold inching its means again, I’m fairly positive,” Mondello stated.
Woody believes there is a chance with the FIFA World Cup in 2026, when his advertising crew in Seattle can be collaborating with Vacation spot Vancouver. Seattle and Vancouver are the second-closest geographical grouping of any of the FIFA host cities, and match schedules have been aligned in order that spectators can simply journey to see video games on each side of the border.
Woody expects about 750,000 folks flowing out and in of Seattle over the three-week interval of these video games.
Nonetheless, Sacks from Tourism Economics warns that throughout the US, the estimated bump in World Cup guests in 2026 won’t be sufficient to beat the injury executed this yr.
Some Canadians are choosing locations in Mexico like Los Cabos in Baja California. – Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Pictures
‘We’re right here whenever you’re prepared’
Canadians have additionally pulled again from different favourite locations throughout the nation, together with Orlando, house to the nation’s largest cluster of theme parks.
Canadian air arrivals to Orlando had been down via Could and advance resort bookings slowed noticeably since April, in response to Casandra Matej, Go to Orlando president and CEO. However different guests from the UK, Brazil and Mexico have nonetheless been coming in regular numbers.
Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Conference and Guests Authority, informed CNN he not too long ago returned from a gross sales mission in Vancouver. These are routine journeys for his crew, however Hill stated he personally needed to attend this time to listen to from greater than 100 tour operators and journey brokers concerning the sentiment in Canada.
What he heard was not shocking: A sure portion of Canadians won’t go to the US proper now on precept.
“Attempting to get them to beat that too considerably, I don’t suppose works very effectively,” Hill stated. “What we informed them is, you understand, we’re right here whenever you’re prepared. We hope you’re prepared quickly.”
Las Vegas has seen a drop in each home and worldwide vacationers. The Las Vegas Conference and Guests Authority’s newest knowledge accessible from January to July 2025, exhibits general customer quantity is down 8% in comparison with the identical interval the yr earlier than.
Hill stated different worldwide vacationers have nonetheless are available comparatively secure numbers. He additionally believes there can be extra Canadians returning within the fall and winter after they have a tendency to flee the chilly and revel in hockey season in Las Vegas.
Each Tourism Economics and a number of other cities’ tourism bureaus informed CNN that they urgently want Congress to completely fund Model USA, a public-private partnership that heads a globally coordinated advertising effort to advertise the US as a premier journey vacation spot. In July, Congress diminished federal matching funds for Model USA from $100 million to $20 million.
Hawkins, the London resident who determined in opposition to his journey subsequent yr, stated he hopes the state of affairs will enhance, in order that he and his spouse can nonetheless journey to Yellowstone and Las Vegas in 2027.
“I take a look at the hard-working Individuals simply as I do native enterprise homeowners right here within the U.Ok.,” Hawkins wrote to CNN, including that he would “hate to see them endure” due to authorities selections.
“I wouldn’t care what political affiliation the homeowners would have, as I discover for those who take politics out of any dialog (which I do usually), you’re just about going to have good things in frequent with folks.”
Vivian Tune contributed to this report.
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