Canadians reconsidering U.S. travel plans amid ongoing tariff threats

Amid the looming tariff threats posed by the U.S. — and a growing sentiment to boycott all things American — some Canadians are now cancelling their upcoming travel plans to the States.

“We’ve definitely seen people who are travelling to the U.S. currently, or who have deposits down for trips to the U.S., looking to pivot and change their plans,” said Flight Centre location manager Andrew Stafford.

Snowbirds who typically fly to American hotspots like Florida or California during the winter are now looking toward other sunny destinations, Stafford says.

“We’re seeing less Hawaii, which is another popular destination, which means it’s a great opportunity to pivot to places like Fiji and Southeast Asia,” he said.

A trader at Vancouver Bullion & Currency Exchange says while the U.S.-Canada exchange rate fluctuates daily, they are also seeing a growing demand for other currencies.

“Right now, we’re seeing people changing their plans; people who were planning to travel to the U.S. are switching to different locations,” said Garo Mavyan.

“Mexico is a big one, some other Caribbean destinations, so we’re seeing a big push for Mexican pesos.”

Aside from the growing sense of Canadian patriotism, the weakening Canadian dollar is also swaying people to reconsider their travel plans.

“The U.S. dollar has spiked quite a bit; the concern of the tariffs is always going to push up the U.S. dollar and weaken the loonie,” Mavyan said.

“We’re seeing the loonie down all major currencies, but against the U.S., it’s a four-year low right now.”

But cancelling preexisting trips could still cost you.

“[There isn’t] a travel advisory, which does mean travel insurance is not going to cover those changes, and airlines are not going to waive their change fees,” Stafford said.

“I think we’ll see a boom in domestic travel. We’re already seeing a lot of tours of Newfoundland selling out faster than they normally do.”