Rising tensions with the US coupled with a weak Canadian greenback have mixed to create one thing of a spring break increase in Victoria, B.C.
“We used to journey within the ‘States a good quantity, however we’re simply not comfy proper now,” Lorie Hyatt, visiting from Ontario, informed International Information.
“I don’t assume we’re going to journey to the U.S. for the subsequent 4 years,” added Roger Hyatt.
The couple had been amongst many vacationers having fun with the streets of B.C.’s capital International Information spoke with on Wednesday, who cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff and annexation threats in selecting to journey domestically this 12 months.
The result’s paying dividends for native tourism operators.
“Numerous Canadians, undoubtedly. Yesterday there have been individuals down on the docks, they stated they selected to journey to B.C. fairly than travelling to the ‘States,” stated Nik Coutinho with Prince of Whales whale watching.
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Coutinho stated enterprise was already brisk, forward of the corporate’s official seasonal launch later this month after they activate their bigger boats.
The corporate’s bread and butter, American guests, are nonetheless displaying up in numbers whereas the Canadian element has elevated.
“Its quite a bit like simply after COVID the place the borders had been closed, and Canadians actually rediscovered their yard,” he stated.
Invoice Lewis, chair of the Better Victoria Lodge Affiliation cited the weak Canadian greenback as a key issue within the increase, each in luring U.S. guests and conserving Canadians at residence.
“We’re actually seeing a lot increased than anticipated numbers for March this 12 months … It’s greater than we’ve seen the final couple of spring breaks,” he stated.
“Which is often an low season, shoulder-season month and we’re seeing inns getting near full.”
Information backs up the anecdotal proof.
Flight Centre reported a 40-per cent drop in leisure bookings to the U.S. 12 months over 12 months in February. Statistics Canada reported a 23-per cent drop in Canadian return journeys throughout the U.S. border over the identical time-frame.
BC Ferries, in the meantime, says native site visitors is brisk.
“We’re seeing excessive volumes of site visitors throughout the entire key routes – clearly, loads of households benefiting from the college vacation to journey between the island and the mainland,” spokesperson Shiryn Sayani stated.
It stays how lengthy the pattern will final.
Foreign money markets and Trump’s actions each stay not possible to foretell.
And Canadians’ anger might linger lengthy past any political conflicts if vacationers like Ontario’s Ruth Ward are any indication.
“I don’t care if I ever go once more,” Ward stated.
© 2025 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
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