Canadians are trading their annual holidays south of the border for domestic road trips, exploring Ottawa, the Yukon’s midnight sun, Nova Scotia’s whale watching, or hiking in Banff.
This newfound desire to stay local began earlier this year when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to annex Canada and imposed tariffs on Canadian goods, spurring a ‘Buy Canadian’ movement to boycott US businesses and avoid US travel.
London, Ontario-based Guess Where Trips, selling curated mystery road trip packages, reported a 75 per cent increase in Canadian trip sales year-on-year.
“It is clear that more Canadians are choosing to explore small businesses and hidden gems close to home, rather than crossing the border for their holidays and vacations,” operations manager Jessica Bax said.
Road trips around Ottawa are among their most popular packages, Bax said, as more Canadians explore their capital city.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has also made a pitch for Canadians to take advantage of a new “Canada Strong” pass that grants free or discounted access to several national parks, historic sites and museums this summer.
“Canadians are making choices to visit this great country, spend time here with their family, with their friends. They’re making choices to buy Canadian products,” he said in a press briefing in Huntsville, Ontario on Tuesday.
The discount pass contrasts with Trump ordering higher entrance fees at U.S. national parks for visitors from other countries.
A Bank of Canada survey this week showed that 55% of Canadians plan to spend less money vacationing in the United States this year while 35% said they would spend more on traveling within Canada. A survey by TD Bank showed 64% of Canadians polled planned to travel within the country, mirroring an increase in domestic flight bookings.
Canadian domestic tourism spending rose 4% in the first quarter this year from a year earlier, said Destination Canada, a government agency that promotes Canadian tourism. The number of flight return trips from the United States made by Canadians fell 17% in May from a year earlier, while the number of such trips made by car fell by 37% that month, according to Statistics Canada.
Walter Flower, who operates whale watching tours in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, said he has been busier this year as more people exploring the UNESCO World…
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