US Cities Beg for the Return of Canadians
(Arabic) - American cities and tourism companies have sought to win back Canadian visitors through promotional campaigns and special offers, in an effort to mitigate the fallout from escalating political and commercial tensions between Washington and Ottawa over the past year.
Rebecca Shapiro, a Canadian on vacation in New York, took advantage of significant discounts on hotels and tourist attractions under the “Northern Neighbour Deal” initiative launched by the city to attract Canadians again, despite growing political disagreements between the two countries, according to an extended report by the Financial Times.
These efforts come after relations between the traditional allies have noticeably deteriorated since US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, amid repeated threats to annex Canada as a new US state and the imposition of tariffs on imports such as steel and cars, prompting Ottawa to threaten retaliatory measures.
New York launched a marketing campaign during the summer that included discounts on hotels, restaurants, flights, and tourist attractions, while prominent landmarks such as the Empire State Building were lit up in red and white to celebrate Canada’s National Day. The official tourism authority also adopted the slogan: “New York Loves Canada.”
The initiatives were not limited to New York. Hotels in Las Vegas offered deals to Canadians based on preferential exchange rates for the Canadian dollar against the US dollar, while the Jay Peak ski resort in Vermont sent an open letter to Canadians, emphasizing that trade disputes should not sour the neighborly relations between the two countries.
Steve Wright, the resort’s general manager, said the management does not seek to intervene in political or trade discussions but rejects any policies that drive neighbors apart.
However, these efforts faced additional challenges after Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week: “We don’t need Canada; it is Canada that needs us.”
Data showed that the number of Canadians visiting the United States fell by about 25 percent compared to 2024, while the number of Americans traveling to Canada rose. Additionally, Canadians spent approximately CAD 3.3 billion less on travel to the United States in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to the Canadian government.
Faron Didehnia, co-founder of Viral Food Tours in New York, said Canadians previously accounted for between 30 and 40 percent of his clients, but their share has recently dropped to about 10 percent.
The Canadian market is particularly important to New York due to its geographical proximity, as Canadians have traditionally been the second-largest group of international visitors to the city after the British. Canadian visitors spent more than $1 billion in the city in 2024, according to the New York City Mayor’s Office.
Although Canadian travel to the United States began to recover during the second quarter of this year, the recent wave of tensions has revived the “Elbows Up” movement, which calls for boycotting American products and traveling to the United States.
Julie Coker, CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, affirmed that political relations between the two countries go through cycles of rise and fall, but she expressed confidence that Canadian visitors would return once the situation calms down.
Conversely, the crisis has led some Canadians to stick to boycotting the United States. Jared Bordi, a university professor in Toronto, said he has been boycotting travel to the United States since 2016, adding that he also avoids buying American products.
