'Come hug it out': Canadian tourism groups reassure U.S. visitors they're welcome amid political tension

Sophia Harris · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 10, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Late past year, Dan Davis of Cleveland, Ohio, began readying a motorcycle travel with friends this summertime that includes respective days successful Ontario. 

But those plans became a small uncertain aft U.S. President Donald Trump took bureau successful January and imposed tariffs connected Canada, sparking a commercialized war. That, coupled with Trump's frequent threats to marque Canada the 51st state, has sparked choler among galore Canadians.

Davis noted that, successful February, Canadians booed the U.S. nationalist anthem astatine respective NHL hockey games, and in March, the Canadian authorities ran a billboard campaign in a twelve U.S. states, including Ohio, declaring that Trump's "tariffs are a tax."

"Those things conscionable made america wonder, 'Wow, are we going to beryllium invited successful Canada?' " said Davis, adding that the licence plates connected the group's motorcycles uncover they're from Ohio — a authorities Trump won successful the 2024 election. 

"On a motorcycle, you're a small much vulnerable," helium said. "All it takes is 1 idiosyncratic to say, 'You cognize what, I'm going to amusement these guys a lesson,' whether it's vandalizing a motorcycle oregon … throwing a brew tin astatine you."

Fewer U.S. tourists visiting Canada

Since Trump took bureau and Canada-U.S. relations person go strained, fewer Canadians are visiting the U.S., and less Americans are coming to Canada.

In May, the fig of trips Americans took to Canada declined 10.7 per cent by car, and 5.5 per cent by aerial compared to the aforesaid clip past year.

Some tourism associations worry a fig of Americans whitethorn be staying away because they fear a chilly reception, truthful they've launched advertisement campaigns which guarantee their neighbours they'll beryllium warmly welcomed. 

It's a worthy origin considering what's astatine stake: The bulk of Canada's tourists come from the U.S., and they spent $15.3 million in the state past year. 

"It was truly important for america to nonstop the connection to these visitors … that they are genuinely welcome, not to beryllium frightened to sojourn us," said Isabelle Charlebois, wide manager of Tourism Eastern Townships, a portion successful southeastern Quebec adjacent the U.S. border. 

The radical launched a TV advertisement successful precocious May, moving in New England and New York state. Set successful the Eastern Townships, it shows a U.S. tourer whispering sheepishly to a edifice clerk that he's American. The clerk smiles knowingly, and gives the American a big, lukewarm hug. "Come hug it retired successful the Eastern Townships," says the tagline. 

WATCH | Quebec tourism radical offers to 'hug it out':

Charlebois says the advertisement run was partially inspired by the information that section tourism operators were fielding galore calls from acrophobic Americans.

"They were calling … asking if they should postpone their trip, oregon if they volition beryllium invited successful Quebec," she said. "This narration we person with our neighbour is truly important for us. That's wherefore we sent this message, and I anticipation it works."

'Perception is reality'

In May, retired of the 200 businesses surveyed by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, 32 per cent reported little summertime bookings by Americans compared to the aforesaid clip past year. 

John Kinney, proprietor of Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours, says, truthful acold this season, his determination conscionable extracurricular Niagara Falls has seen 15 per cent less American customers compared to this clip past year. 

"Unfortunately, cognition is reality," said Kinney. "If it's perceived that there's governmental woes, radical say, 'I perceive Myrtle Beach is nice.' They conscionable spell to a wholly antithetic area."

To promote Americans to heard north, Niagara Falls Tourism has launched a leafage connected its website just for them. Along with listing attractions, it declares, "To our friends successful the U.S.A. — we can't hold to invited you!"

Back successful Cleveland, Davis spotted a billboard last week connected the road and says he took it arsenic a motion he's invited successful Canada. 

This time, alternatively of denouncing Trump's tariffs, the billboard invited Americans to sojourn Ontario and instrumentality vantage of the debased Canadian dollar. 

Destination Ontario, the province's tourism organization, launched the run successful respective U.S. states past month.

"It's bully to spot that they are encouraging visitors," said Davis, who is present looking guardant to his Ontario trip. "We each conscionable request to travel unneurotic arsenic quality beings connected some sides of the borderline and clasp each other."

B.C. carnivore circuit operators beckon Americans

Over connected the West Coast, British Columbia businesses that specialize successful carnivore viewing are besides rolling retired the invited mat. 

More than a twelve took portion successful a video, posted connected YouTube connected May 30, which promises Americans "open arms" and "warm hospitality."

B.C.'s Commercial Bear Viewing Association, which enactment unneurotic the ad, says it volition soon beryllium launched arsenic portion of a societal media run successful select U.S. markets.

WATCH | B.C. businesses welcome U.S. tourists:

Marg Leehane, wide manager of Great Bear Lodge successful Campbell River, B.C., shouted out, "You're ever welcome," successful the video. It's a connection she hopes volition resonate, arsenic American bookings astatine her lodge are down by 28 per cent truthful acold compared to this clip past year.

"Americans ever marque up a bully percent of our visitors, and we're disappointed to not person them coming," she said. "I deliberation they're disquieted the governmental connection volition get reflected connected them. But of course, that's not however astir Canadians feel."

Leehane says she's getting much Canadian bookings this twelvemonth than usual, which helps offset the diminution successful American customers. Still, she worries that decline could person lasting repercussions. 

"We don't privation to suffer that pipeline of American visitors," she said. "They would person travel backmost arsenic repetition guests. So it's not conscionable this twelvemonth that we would suffer retired connected those visitors, it's the aboriginal years."