New England governors say tariffs and anti-Canadian rhetoric by the United States government is taking a bite out of tourism, with some states seeing a drop of up to 60% in visitors from north of the border. And they say they understand our hostility – and are ticked off too.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said Canadian tourism to her state and others such as Maine, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont is down between 20 and 60% compared with last year.
“We have seen impacts that you can’t quite put a price on,” she told reporters recently in Boston, following a meeting between New England governors and premiers from Eastern Canada. “But there are real concerns about travelling to the United States, and safety concerns … and what might happen in terms of border activity.”
Delegations from Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador travelled to Boston at Healey’s invitation. Representatives from Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire attended as well.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who is visiting the Maritimes this week, said the meeting was a chance for the leaders to forge stronger ties and continue building relationships in the face of “dangerous rhetoric coming from Washington.”
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said everyone is trying to deal with a situation that was “thrust” upon them.
“Nobody here created this situation … this divide between our countries,” he said. “And Canadians, you know when they hear the talk of the 51st state stuff, we’re pretty ticked off about that. It kind of makes us really, really upset.”
Mills said Maine’s tourism industry depends “a lot” on Canada with at least one million Canadians visiting the state every year.
“I understand the hostility that people in Canada must feel from that rhetoric. I feel that too. It hurts all of us, and we want to make sure that Canadian citizens understand we want them to come …. We want Maine people to go to Canada as well,” she said. “We value that relationship more than anything.”
Between February and April, Mills said, tourism was down by about 26%. “It’s not the tariffs that are affecting them so much as the hurt pride in Canadian citizenry. And boy, I understand that.”
Healey said Massachusetts expects about a 20% decline in Canadian tourists this year. Vermont reports that hotel reservations by Canadians were down 45% during the earlier part of the year, while credit card spending had decreased by 36%. In New York City, she said, bookings by Canadians are down 45% so far.
Some schools have suspended or cancelled trips to the United States since Trump came to power, she said.
Robert Huish, associate professor at Dalhousie University’s department of international development studies, said the hostility the Trump administration shows to anyone who disagrees or differs in opinion will be the “undoing of America.”
“Never before has so much show of force been used against those who disagree with the government. It’s hard to invite diverse investment while demanding unquestioning political loyalty. I’d expect that more of Saudi Arabia or North Korea,” he said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he is encouraging Canadians to travel around the country instead of spending their tourism dollars in the U.S. “Come to Ontario. It’s massive. It’s twice the size of Texas,” he said.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt echoed her fellow premier, saying she can’t tell Canadians to visit the U.S. right now.
“I’m going to tell them to go and see my neighbours in Nova Scotia,” she said. “I’m going to tell them to spend some time at home, because the relationship has been challenged by leadership and we need to get back to normal.”
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