U.S. tourism groups want to win Canadian visitors back. A testy trade war isn't helping

American tourism groups are striving to regain the attention of Canadian visitors, despite the hostile trade relations between the two nations. Josh Loewen, a Vancouver resident and marketing executive, has observed these efforts over the past year. Billboards, banners, and online ads promoting U.S. destinations to Canadians have been common.

However, the situation has worsened with the imposition of import taxes of up to 50% on Canadian products and the renaming of Lake Ontario to "Lake America". Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, dismissed these insults as childish and undignified. Despite these tensions, state and local tourism officials in the U.S. have continued their efforts to attract Canadian tourists.

New York state launched a "NY Loves Canada" promotion, offering discounts at hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Las Vegas officials even traveled to Canada to meet with travel advisers, tour operators, and airline representatives. The U.S. tourism industry's marketing organization, Brand USA, will also hold its Trade Week trade-event series in Canada for the first time in October.

However, travel to the U.S. from Canada remains significantly lower than it was before the trade war began. In 2025, Canadian residents made 25% fewer return border crossings and spent $2.4 billion (CA$3.3 billion) less on travel to the U.S. compared to the previous year. Despite some tentative signs of improvement in May, June, and July, when border crossings increased slightly, likely due to the 2026 World Cup, the overall trend indicates a persistent shift away from the United States by Canadian residents in their travel preferences.