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Trump tariffs: Many Canadian travellers are saying 'anywhere but the U.S.' (readers react)

Many Canadian travellers are having second thoughts about travelling to the United States right now. A tariff reprieve may have come too late

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Have Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs got you second-guessing a planned trip to the U.S.? Are you thinking twice about spending a week or two in Hawaii or Florida in the near future?

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Join the Go Canada Club.

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Amra Durakovic, spokesperson for Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, said her company’s travel experts are hearing loud and clear that Canadians are saying not the U.S., not right now.

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The reprieve on tariffs, as far as many are concerned, came too late.

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“We are definitely seeing a shift in Canadians’ travel plans,” Durakovic said from Flight Centre’s Toronto offices on Tuesday. “They’re sending a powerful message right now by directing their tourism dollars elsewhere.”

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Some of the cancellations, she noted, were major bucket list journeys costing $10,000 to $30,000.

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A family was booked for an Arizona junket to sightsee the canyons. Now they’re going to Portugal.

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A weekend trip to Chicago for a mom and daughter became a few nights in Montreal instead.

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Cruise passengers who were scheduled for sailings that visit U.S. ports of call are switching to the Mediterranean.

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“Canadians are definitely rebooking,” said Durakovic. “The sentiment I’m hearing is ‘anywhere but the U.S.’ It’s a moment of solidarity and consumer advocacy.”

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Durakovic said agents were already seeing declines in U.S. travel before the tariff announcement, in part because of a dropping Canadian dollar. But the overall mood south of the border and Trump’s insults against his northern neighbours played a part.

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Travel experts in Vancouver said there were a few cancellations in the immediate aftermath of the tariff announcement, though it was by no means a mass boycott.

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No matter the reason, a cancellation is always handled the same way, said Travel Best Bets’ vice-president of operations, Shauna Vu. That means the rules around refunds and cancellation penalties depend on the terms and conditions set out by the airline, cruise line or supplier, said Vu.

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Saying you want to cancel because you’re boycotting the destination carries no weight, Vu said, as the original travel contract must be honoured.

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Durakovic agreed cost is a key factor in travel decisions, with 64 per cent of travellers in a recent Flight Centre poll prioritizing affordability above all else.

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But now, “Politics are influencing travel decisions. They’re choosing to redirect their travel as a protest to the tariffs.”

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And yes, the cancellations come at a cost.

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“Most travel companies have a charge regardless of insurance,” said Durakovic. “But that’s not deterring Canadians. They’re paying rebooking and cancellation fees and they’re doing it happily.”

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Durakovic said Canadians remain committed to travel, but now they’re seeking new adventures.

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“I see this as an opportunity … Maybe this is what we needed to get out of our comfort zones.” Another holiday in Florida? Nah, let’s try Antigua instead.

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“Customers are telling me this whole situation has broken their trust. We’re going to see a lot of Canadians travelling to anywhere but the U.S. for some time to come.

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“Canadians are aligning our spending choices with our beliefs.”

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Travel Best Bets’ Vu agreed.

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“We do understand the way some Canadians are feeling right now, and until the tariff situation is resolved there will be many Canadians looking to spend their dollars in countries other than the U.S.,” said Vu.

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“But Canadians love travel and they prioritize it,” said Vu. “They won’t stop travelling.”

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U.S. industry anticipated big losses

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Speaking of the tariff reprieve, the American travel industry will certainly welcome it.

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The U.S. Travel Association said Monday it was bracing for a 10 per cent decline in trips by Canadians in response to the tariffs.

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“Canada is the top source of international visitors to the United States, with 20.4 million visits in 2024, generating $20.5 billion in spending and supporting 140,000 American jobs,” it said in a statement.

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A 10 per cent reduction in Canadian travel could mean two million fewer visits, leading to $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses. It also expects the top five visited states — Florida, California, Nevada, New York and Texas — will experience drops in retail and hospitality revenue, as shopping is the top leisure activity of Canadian visitors.

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Readers’ react

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Here are some of the comments we received after this story was published (edited for clarity and length):

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We were booked for two nights at Seneca Niagara Resort in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Feb 14 and 15 with dinner reservations for Valentine’s. Given the decision to declare war on Canada, we have cancelled those reservations and will be celebrating closer to home. We have also decided not to take a planned cruise out of Florida this upcoming winter. This 30-day reprieve is nothing more than an insult to Canadians.

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Chuck and Cathy Stradling

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I was planning a trip to visit my daughter and her husband in San Francisco in September. I spoke with her today and told her I had no intention of visiting now. Trump has done something positive for Canada. He has unified us against the U.S. I’m also not purchasing American products even though the tariffs were not yet imposed. Trump wants to be a bully and put the U.S. first no matter what. He will regret treating a loyal ally in this manner.

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Cynthia Chapman

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We are retired and travel to Arizona most years for eight-10 weeks in February-April. We stay in our camper van and Airbnbs and enjoy the mountain biking and hiking. We’ve met some great people and love the parks that we visit. We decided on Feb. 1 that we just couldn’t go this year. Trump’s threats towards acquiring Canada as the 51st state through economic attacks is disgusting and very scary. Especially when he has the richest man in the world helping him. We probably lost $200-$300 in cancellation fees but it’s worth the peace of mind to do anything we can to protest Trump’s aggression towards Canada. We are planning to fly to Mexico instead. We’ll spend around $8,000-$9,000 & be happy we’re spending it in a country we feel is a friend and ally to Canada. Which, sadly, the U.S. under Trump’s leadership is not.

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Gail Sawers

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Our family will be reluctantly going to Arizona for our annual spring break visit, but a multi-family visit to Hawaii to spread my father’s ashes is cancelled. The threats to our sovereignty are way more of an insult than the tariffs. Completely unforgivable.?

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Ryan Kutzner

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We cancelled our long-booked trip to Cape Coral, Fla. We have gone regularly for over 15 years but because of the attack on our country, we have decided to cancel and we will not go to the U.S. as long as Trump and MAGA are in the White House. Countless numbers of my friends and neighbours are also not going south and are looking at other non-U.S. destinations. We will no longer be taken for granted as an ally and neighbour.

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B.W. Chambers

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We were planning a trip to Tucson in March. Once Trump won the election and talked about tariffs and Canada becoming the 51st state we cancelled our trip in December. We didn’t lose any money. We will not be travelling to the U.S. as long as Trump is president. We absolutely refuse to support the U.S. economy while Trump and his cronies are threatening Canada. We will continue to travel to Europe and within Canada. In addition, we are buying groceries that are products of Canada and other countries. This will be a permanent change in shopping no matter what happens with tariffs.

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Kathy Howell

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I’m retired and have the financial means to travel anywhere in the world for any period of time. In October 2018, at the height of Trump 1.0, I decided to permanently boycott the U.S. as a travel destination. My quality of life hasn’t been adversely impacted one bit by this decision. Since then, my wife and I have spent about $100,000 on travel in Canada and elsewhere in the world — it would have been higher if not for the pandemic — about half of which would have otherwise been spent in the U.S. Events since and now have confirmed this personal decision as one that I feel good about.

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Colin McKelvie

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It’s not about the money. I cancelled and lost money, and I expected that. The group of us who travel in various numbers met last weekend, not about the tariffs, but about the relationship between our two countries. As Canadians, we have always had a good relationship with our southern friends. Many in our group revisit the same American resort, golf courses and campground over and over. We all have close friends in various parts of the U.S. We love our friends and family that travel, stay or have moved to the U.S. None of that will change. But U.S. government leaders have made public statements that read: “We do not need Canada.” Well, we are only 10 per cent of your population, and maybe only 10 per cent of your vacation spending. The article says the amount U.S. travel contributes is about $20.5 billion.?May you can lose 10 per cent and get by. Can you lose 50 per cent and still be happy?

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John Goldsmith

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I have done a complete avoidance of U.S. travel. Won’t even connect on the way to somewhere else. This is not a desirable travel destination for anyone but especially Canadians being insulted on a regular basis, and there is nothing exceptional about the U.S.?You reap what you sow.?Europe and Caribbean are nice alternatives.

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John Suk

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My husband and I just cancelled what would be about a $20,000 five-week trip to Palm Springs. We lost $5,000 on cancelling our accommodations but both of us feel a sense of relief. We have had a very bad taste in our mouth about the comments that have been made about Canada, and the tariff threat (that I still believe will take place) was the last straw. Not only will this vacation be cancelled, we will no longer travel to the U.S. moving forward. We already have stopped buying U.S. goods and will be continuing that as well regardless of the tariff outcome.?

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Dawn Mann

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We just cancelled a month-long trip to Arizona that we booked last fall. We were waiting until the tariffs were announced last weekend. It was a tough decision but we just couldn’t stomach the idea of spending our money in the U.S. with Trump and all his insulting rhetoric against Canada. We have gone to Arizona for the past five years but never again until the Trump MAGA movement disappears. Despite the 30-day reprieve on tariffs, we still feel great about our decision. Today the White House press secretary stated that Canada had bent the knee. This only galvanized our position. I believe the only way past this rests with public opinion in the U.S. They seem to tolerate Trump, but when they start to figure out his approach will cost them, people will start to sit up and take notice.

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Peter Burton

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We are sitting in Palm Desert now enjoying 25-degree weather. Our next trip was work-related in September, a conference in the Maritimes. We wanted to visit New England (Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod and Boston, etc.), but we have cancelled that and will focus more on P.E.I. and New Brunswick. Simple and easy.?If I could’ve been refunded for this trip, I would’ve done so.?The U.S. dollar is a factor also.?

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Robbie Grey

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We went every year to the Phoenix area and Yuma and motorcycle there in the summer, but now we will be going elsewhere, Mexico for winter, B.C. in the summer. We were just down in Yuma until mid January, and were looking at a place to buy in a 55+ place. But we waited and sure enough (Trump) made up our minds for us. We will not be buying anything there until he is gone.

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Blaine and Nora Unger

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TALK TO US ABOUT TARIFFS: Has the news of tariffs changed your buying habits or travel plans? Has it impacted your workplace or business? We want to hear your thoughts on how the U.S. tariffs have impacted your daily life. Sound off in the comments below or email us at vantips@postmedia.com if you’d like to speak with a reporter for a future story.

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