BC Premier suggests Canadians should think carefully about U.S. travel plans

British Columbia Premier David Eby had a message for British Columbians and for Canadians earlier this week during a media briefing in Vancouver.

The Premier said that in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods going across the border into the U.S., British Columbians and Canadians should think carefully about whether they wanted to spend their money south of the border.

Pointing out the many connections between Canadians and Americans, the Premier observed that: “It feels very strange to say, but I really do think that for Canadians right now, when you’re planning your March Break vacations, when you’re planning your summer vacations, if the tariff threat is realized – the deliberate economic attack on families in our province, in our country by the President of the United States – that we should really be thinking carefully about spending our money in that country.”

Recent estimates indicate that 22.7 million Canadians are expected to visit the U.S. in 2024.

Whether or not Canadians will act in response to Premier Eby’s comments remains to be seen, however, earlier this month, Narrative Research — www.narrativeresearch.ca — asked Canadians about the impact that Donald Trump’s presidency would have on their personal travel to the United States in the next year.

Responses to that survey revealed that just under one half (45 per cent) expect to travel to the U.S. the same amount, while three in ten (29 per cent) anticipate travelling less and just one in ten (eight per cent) say that they will travel more. The expected net drop in travel is approximately 21 per cent.

The survey also reported that residents of Atlantic Canada (37 per cent) are more likely than those living in other parts of the country to say they will travel to the U.S. less within the next year.

Across age groups, those aged 55 and over are notably more likely than younger Canadians to travel less (37 per cent), compared to their respective counterparts. Men (52 per cent) are more likely to travel the same amount, while women (33 per cent) are more likely to travel less.

Stay tuned, there’s bound to be more to come as the deadline for the imposition of tariffs – now set by President Trump for Feb. 1, 2025, although the Executive Order he signed cites April 1, 2025 as the deadline for various U.S. departments to report to him on trade relationships with various countries – comes closer.

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: