California Governor pleads with Canadians to visit
Posted April 15, 2025 3:11 pm.
Last Updated April 15, 2025 3:57 pm.
In light of the strained relations between Canada and the U.S. government, the governor of California published a plea to Canadians, encouraging them to visit his state.
Gov. Gavin Newsom posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday in which he announced the launch of a campaign that targets Canadians.
“We want to send a message to our Canadian friends up north to come to a state where 2 million Canadians visited last year,” said Newsom in the video post.
He also mentioned that the “state of mind in the U.S.A. has dramatically changed as it relates to the approach to Canada.”
Without naming U.S. President Donald Trump by name, Newsom said, “Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C., but don’t let that ruin your beach plans.”
He was referring to Trump’s repeated threats of annexing Canada as the 51st state. Together with the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian goods and services, Canadians have been more reluctant to go south across the border.
Canadians more hesitant to cross the border
According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians travelling to the U.S. by land has dropped by almost a third since Trump assumed office in January.
The once routine trips to the U.S. for many Canadians have been overshadowed by recent reports of prolonged detentions of foreigners — among them two German tourists, a Welsh backpacker, and Canadian Jasmine Mooney. Most recently, the association that represents academic staff at Canadian universities warned its members against non-essential travel to the United States.
In the video, Newsom clearly distances himself from Trump. His attempts to woo Canadians include highlighting California’s landmarks and emphasizing that it is “a state where there is something for everybody.”
The campaign aims to reduce the anticipated substantial $6-billion loss in overall tourism revenue for California this year, primarily driven by a reduction in international arrivals, including those from Canada.
