Canadians have returned to President Donald Trump by canceling holidays and trips booked to the US.
“It's all going on at this point, so I'm not going to put my hard-earned money into the economy,” BC resident Michelle Gardner, who recently canceled a US spring break trip, told CBC News.
“In the next four years, we will be looking to spend money here and explore everything Canada has to offer.”
The “Canadian Buy” movement is becoming more and more popular. This is triggered by President Donald Trump's repeated threats to Canada's annex, placing massive US tariffs on Canadian goods. Provincial and territory are gaining interest from Canadian tourists and are trying to capitalize on the momentum.
This includes Nova Scotia, where the Tourism Bureau has a new domestic advertising campaign to “sniff and inspire” travel to the state. Operators have already reported an increase in summer bookings, they said.
At least eight provinces and territories have shared with CBC News and have seen an increase in interest from Canadian tourists in recent months.
“We're looking forward to seeing you in the future,” said Jonathan Potts, CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan.
In Toronto, Ripley's Aquarium offered Ontario residents a 25% discount in February, offering a “no Tuesday's duty” discount during this March break.
Flair Airlines announced a new flight between Charlottetown and Toronto in April, citing forecasts due to weak US bookings, which means businesses are on board.
Canadian travelers already make up most visitors to the provinces and territories, and it is becoming a busy season for the country's tourism industry in several provinces reporting strong interest from US visitors to Canada.
Barbara Mazzega of Vancover said he recently discovered that the hotel was booked at Solid for a swap trip to Newfoundland and Labrador. She cancelled her plans to travel to the US on holiday
She and her husband were planning on going on a five-day cruise to Alaska with a friend. However, when tariff threats loomed in February, they decided to change plans.
“We looked at each other, looked at my husband and I and said, 'Yeah, no, that's not okay,'” the 60-year-old told CBC News.
“We didn't want to give us a line of US cruise ships – we're anything – our money.”
A fellow Canadian Brian Galauer, 66, said his son had abolished plans for future family visits to see his son, who lives in the United States, instead of making a trip to Canada.
Brian said: “Trump feels uncomfortable enough to continue talking about Canada becoming the 51st state. We're not really going to go back to the state until that rhetoric stops.”
