Cambridge, Ont., travel agent says some clients rethinking U.S. travel plans amid tariff war

John Dalusong · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

A Cambridge, Ont., question cause says her clients aren't changing plans to spell to the U.S. during March interruption adjacent week, but those looking at vacations successful the coming months are reconsidering their options.

"Clients, radical are feeling attacked. We're feeling threatened," Jessica Malcew, a question cause astatine Timeless Tales Travel, told CBC News. "They privation to marque definite that … they're supporting Canadian, oregon they're staying home."

Malcew, a abrogation planner listed arsenic a Disney specialist, said the question bureau is besides seeing a displacement successful however radical are approaching their vacations.

"Instead of them going [to Disney] for a week, they're going for 4 to five days. We're decidedly seeing a shrink," she said.

"We person seen an summation successful clients who are looking astatine all-inclusive destinations similar Mexico, Dominican Republic, and who are cruising instead, arsenic well."

'We've truly had to pivot': question agent

After a month-long pause, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Tuesday connected astir imports from Canada.

Following the announcement, Malcew said, clients are present indicating they privation to avoid U.S. trips altogether. One idiosyncratic emailed Malcew and said they're "going to hold disconnected connected doing immoderate much probe connected trips to Florida due to the fact that of the tariffs that came into effect." 

HS Chris Choi, a prof astatine the University of Guelph's School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, told CBC News successful an email that the hostility betwixt Canada and the U.S. has affected Canadians' desire to question to the U.S.

"Industry experts person observed that the heightened governmental hostility is prompting Canadians to rethink their question plans, with galore favouring section oregon non-U.S. destinations implicit the accepted American trips they erstwhile preferred," helium said. 

It is thing Malcew says her Disney-centric question bureau has had to address.

"We've truly had to pivot and marque definite that we're flexible and providing clients with the accusation they request to cognize that we don't conscionable publication Disney. We tin besides publication your Royal Caribbean cruise, which is Canadian dollars, oregon we tin get you to that all-inclusive destination besides successful Canadian dollars."

Different than Trump's 1st term

Choi said the "aggressive governmental rhetoric" from the U.S. has caused "significant unease" among Canadian travellers, something already felt each implicit the country. 

"In regions similar Quebec, surveys bespeak that astir fractional of those who initially planned to question to the U.S. present opt for home oregon alternate planetary destinations."

Other provinces are besides feeling this displacement successful Canadians' sentiments.

McKenzie McMillan, a question advisor with a Vancouver-based question group, told CBC News that galore Canadians were already avoiding travel to the U.S. backmost when tariffs were still conscionable a threat.

"We surely saw it during the archetypal Trump presidency, with Canadians mostly anecdotally saying that they were readying connected avoiding the U.S.," McMillan said. 

"But this clip decidedly feels different. This has been a overmuch much tangible absorption from clients who are really outright cancelling trips and rearranging their plans. This is thing that we haven't seen earlier to this extent."

Growing involvement successful section travel

While Malcew did not needfully announcement an uptick successful section question for March break, she said much clients accidental they privation to walk their abrogation dollars successful Canada successful the coming months.  

Choi said helium had the aforesaid reflection from existent question trends successful Waterloo region.

"I've observed a robust rebound successful section tourism passim the Waterloo portion and Wellington County, with edifice occupancy rates and lawsuit information astir returning to pre-pandemic levels," helium said.

"Families and groups are progressively taking vantage of the region's affluent taste events, outdoor experiences, and unsocial attractions … without the request for long-distance travel."

Choi said these changes successful Canadians' question habits could persist past the tariffs' existence. 

"Suppose the existent governmental and economical uncertainties persist. In that case, determination is simply a beardown likelihood that Canadians volition proceed to similar section oregon alternate planetary destinations adjacent aft the tariffs are yet resolved," helium said.

'Big hit' to question agents

With fewer Canadians choosing to walk March interruption connected U.S. trips, Malcew said determination has been a trickle effect. 

"Flights and things person been changing, with similar WestJet reducing the fig of flights that they're sending down to Florida," she said. "Other airlines are pursuing suit."

Malcew understands wherefore clients are avoiding sending their wealth southbound of the border. However, she said, autarkic contractors and question agents similar her are taking a hit.

"Clients volition spot it as, 'We're not giving wealth to this American corporation,' which is 100 per cent true," she said. "But past it's besides impacting Canadians arsenic well.

"We each unrecorded successful Canada, we each enactment successful Canada, we each wage Canadian taxes and we're besides seeing this large hit."