Tariffs have only just kicked in, but Canadian advisors (and their clients) aren’t taking them lying down
There were rumblings back in November when Trump won the election and some Canadians declared they won’t travel to the States during his administration. Then came the threat of tariffs, the Trump-Vance-Zelensky confrontation, followed by the actual imposition of tariffs 04MAR. Let’s just say: kaboom.
Add a droopy loonie and you’ve got the perfect storm roiling between Canadians’ and their travel plans to the U.S.
A Flight Centre Travel Group Canada spokesperson on 05MAR said leisure bookings to the U.S. were down 40% in February of this year compared to 2024. She also said one-in-five U.S. bookings have been cancelled in the last five months.
So what is the mood out there? Open Jaw contacted several travel advisors and execs across the country to gauge the mood out there.
If there’s any business that’s familiar with cross border travel, it’s Click The Mouse. Based in Toronto, Click the Mouse specializes in Disney – to the point that if a client asks them for a trip elsewhere they will politely decline the booking.
“This is horrible for us and we are getting a lot of cancellations,” owner Sandra Pappas told Open Jaw. She added that she appreciates it’s very much the client’s personal decision, but “This is frustrating and frightening. We’ve already had quite a slow wave season because of the dollar and the political scene. And now – this is very frustrating and hard, like it’s Covid 2.0. It’s so out of our control. I love Disney, but this has been really tough.”
TLN member Kyle Oram of KVI Travel in Vancouver shared the following: “I’m seeing a significant number of travellers and agents in Canada redirecting their travel plans so they don’t come into contact with the U.S. Whether it’s exchanging Florida-based cruises for European ones, or trading a Disneyworld vacations for all-inclusives in Mexico, it is definitely noticeable.”
He also commented that he is seeing advisors cancel their plans to attend travel conferences in the U.S. this year.
Ethel Hansen Davy of Uniglobe Enterprise Travel in Toronto reports that most of her U.S.-bound clients are snowbirds heading to winter at their own properties, so they only need air from her. “But since January 20, seven of these couples have unloaded their places in Florida. They are pleased that they were proactive in selling right away since the market has plummeted so others in their area can’t find buyers. This speaks volumes, I think.” 
While careful to point out that she is relatively new to the industry, Nexion’s Vanore Voaklander (based in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.) told Open Jaw she’s not had any queries about any U.S. destinations since January. And she has personally cancelled a conference in Florida and has no personal desire to travel to the USA for the foreseeable future.
“I do not anticipate having any queries about U.S. destinations for a long time.”
Speaking to Open Jaw from Halifax, Blair Jerrett, Senior Director/Marketing of Maritime Travel – which currently has promotions for Las Vegas and Orlando on its landing page – is taking a more wait-and-see attitude. “There’s been lots of chatter over the past few weeks. We have heard of some customers cancelling planned trips to the U.S. but it’s early days - this is day 1.”
Maritime Travel has 95 locations across the country and he reports that he has not heard in any meaningful way of clients deciding to go to, for example, Mexico rather than Florida. “And at this point the dollar is not affecting bookings or queries. We will see how it all plays out.”
But Irene Newstaedter of TLN affiliate Around the World in 80 Ways in Winnipeg is not mincing her words. “Travel to the U.S. is definitely crashing. I have corporate accounts who have put a total freeze on all travel to the U.S. for an indefinite period, and clients who have homes in California and Arizona are selling their condos. Families who already have their Disney holidays booked and paid for are going, but others have switched to Disneyland Paris or have changed their plans entirely. When Canada is attacked by the U.S., we fight back with our wallets and pride.”
Stay tuned for further updates and reactions. We are all in this together, folks.
