The United States was the top destination for Canadian tourists, with 20.4 million visits reported last year by the US Travel Association, pumping some US$20.5 billion into the American economy and supporting 140,000 jobs.
“We don’t want to support the United States. It’s a matter of principle,“ explains Cote.
“We don’t want to go to a place where democracy is in danger, where people suffer great injustices, and where people are being deported,“ Gauvreau told AFP.
Bookings to American destinations in February alone fell 40 percent compared to the same month last year, while 20 percent of pre-existing reservations were cancelled, according to the travel agency Flight Centre Canada.
Andre Laurent, a retired civil servant, spent half of each of the past 22 years in Florida to escape Canada's frigid winters.
“I no longer felt welcomed and I even felt like I was betraying my country,“ he said.
Canadian tourists number to United States expected to plummet this year
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose final days in office were marked by Trump slapping tariffs or threats of tariffs on many Canadian goods, urged his countrymen to consider vacationing closer to home to show their patriotism.
Travel agencies were quick to leap on the trend.
Agencies are already noticing a shift in Canadian bookings to destinations such as Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, and Canada instead of the United States.
“These decisions are based on market needs and demand,“ said Kim Bowie, director of communications for the airline said.
He pointed to a Leger survey that found six out of 10 Canadians plan to vacation in Canada, adding that this is quite unusual.
For Cote, however, it’s about standing up for Canada: “We must spend money at home rather than with our neighbors who play dirty tricks on us.”
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