More British Columbians choosing local spring break vacations amid U.S.-Canada tensions

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 23, 2025 10:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Michael Johal, a Delta, B.C., resident, has chosen to walk outpouring interruption astatine a formation edifice successful Parksville, northbound of Nanaimo connected Vancouver Island.

"Staying successful the country, redeeming our money, spending wealth locally, that's what we wanted to do," Johal told CBC News portion boarding a ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo with his woman and their 2 young sons.

"We don't privation to spell extracurricular the state astatine all."

Johal said his determination stems from rising tensions betwixt Canada and the U.S., arsenic good arsenic repeated threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to annex Canada arsenic the 51st state.

It's a sentiment shared by others, including B.C. Premier David Eby, who precocious cancelled a planned Disneyland travel with his household portion besides encouraging British Columbians to debar travelling to the U.S.

Recent question information suggests galore radical have been listening.

Fewer British Columbians heading south

Nearly 500,000 less travellers crossed the onshore borderline from Canada into the U.S. successful February compared to the aforesaid period past year, according to information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The fig of B.C. drivers heading southbound done the Peace Arch border crossing successful Surrey has besides dropped importantly this year, according to information from the Whatcom Council of Governments. A rolling 30-day mean of crossings done the borderline shows astir a 25 per cent alteration compared to 2024.

Drivers without a Nexus card, which allows expedited borderline clearance, person made up the astir notable drop, down by 33 per cent. Nexus holders besides crossed little frequently, but their diminution was much humble astatine 16 per cent.

Meanwhile, postulation heading northbound from the U.S. into Canada has remained comparatively stable.

A akin inclination has been seen connected the water. Mark Collins, CEO of FRS Clipper, which operates ferry routes betwixt Seattle and Victoria, said question from Canada to the U.S. has dropped by astir 30 per cent since sailings for the year resumed successful mid-February.

"For postulation originating from Seattle [coming to Victoria], it's beauteous flat. Certainly nary uptick but beauteous overmuch adjacent with past year," Collins said.

He acknowledged Canadians' hesitation to sojourn the U.S. but hopes that erstwhile commercialized tensions ease, question patterns volition rebound.

WATCH | B.C. cross-border postulation drops 25% amid tariffs and Trump's threats: 

"As agelong arsenic this geopolitical concern continues, I deliberation we volition spot brushed postulation oregon a simplification successful Canadians traveling south," helium added. 

Kelowna International Airport CEO Sam Samaddar said aerial summons beforehand bookings from Canada to the U.S. person besides slowed down.

"So overmuch truthful that we are seeing our Canadian carriers either reducing frequence to definite U.S. destinations oregon ending immoderate of the seasonal work to Las Vegas earlier than scheduled," helium said in a connection to CBC News.

Local tourism sees a boost

At the aforesaid time, home question is connected the rise, according to Samaddar, with the Kelowna airdrome seeing a 10.6 per cent summation successful rider volumes successful the archetypal mates of months of 2025 compared to the aforesaid play past year.

"We hosted the Brier aboriginal successful March and person had a engaged outpouring interruption truthful far, truthful I expect those numbers to proceed to determination successful a affirmative direction," helium said.

WATCH | British Columbians travelling locally this outpouring break:

Vancouver Island, successful particular, has been a fashionable outpouring interruption destination, said JJ Belanger, who is the seat of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C. and proprietor of a edifice successful Tofino. 

"It seems similar the Island is doing rather good for outpouring break," helium said. "There conscionable seems to beryllium a sentiment—kind of similar aft COVID—that radical are blessed to enactment wrong their ain state and travel."

Belanger besides cited the anemic Canadian dollar arsenic a origin keeping Canadians astatine location portion besides attracting American visitors.

"They spot the worth of the Canadian dollar being $0.69. And so, for them, coming to Canada is evidently a large worth and a large vacation," helium said.

In Victoria, Bill Lewis, seat of the Hotel Association of Greater Victoria, said edifice bookings for outpouring interruption person exceeded expectations, with a premix of home and U.S. visitors.

BC Ferries, meanwhile, said it is besides seeing "higher-than-usual demand" this outpouring break. The institution said it has made adjustments to accommodate the surge successful passengers.

One of its vessels returned to service after months of repairs, conscionable successful clip for the break, but different remains retired of commission, affecting question connected the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay-Langdale routes implicit the Easter weekend.

WATCH | Surrey duty-free store caught successful the crossfire of U.S.-Canada commercialized war: 

A semipermanent shift

For Johal, the determination to question wrong Canada isn't conscionable a one-time choice—he said it's a semipermanent shift.

Looking up to summertime and beyond, helium said his household volition proceed to research section destinations.

"We're talking astir going to Banff and past astir apt coming backmost to Parksville and possibly Whistler," helium said.