Summer vacations are underway for many Canadians, and a new survey suggests the majority may avoid traveling to the United States. But on the prairies the numbers indicate travel remains strong between the two countries amid trade disputes.
For Winnipegger Jessica Pierre, heading across the border is an annual occurrence. Pierre, her husband and three children usually go to the U.S. two or three times each year, but this summer she may be looking for a new destination.
“We were planning on August long weekend usually because the kids go back to school in September, so we usually take them on a trip before school starts, so that was one of them,” said Pierre. “We’re not so sure about it right now.”
Pierre said she’s considering alternative plans because of the situation south of the border.
According to a Nanos Research survey commissioned by CTV News and The Globe and Mail, nearly three in four Canadians feel the same.
The survey shows 74 per cent of Canadians are likely to stop traveling to the U.S. in response to a trade war.
“When we look at Canadian travel, you know, the impact of Canadians on the economy in states, critical states like Florida for example, is significant,” Nik Nanos, chair of Nanos Research, told CTV News Channel. “There are lots of not just hotel chains, but mom and pop organizations that rely on the goodwill and generosity of Canadians in order to kind of be successful in the United States.”
Numbers differ when broken down across the country.
In Quebec, more than 82 per cent say they’ll likely reduce their travel south.
In the Prairies, 58 per cent may change their plans, while 37 per cent likely won’t.
Meanwhile, the number of Canadians re-entering Manitoba from the U.S. is up about seven per cent for the first part of the year, according to Travel Manitoba. More than 361,000 travelers crossed the border from January to April, while around 338,000 made that trip during the same period last year.
Travel Manitoba said these figures do not include the prime tourism period of May to September.
The Conference Board of Canada estimates Winnipeg is likely to get more than 1.4-million overnight visitors this year.
As for Jessica Pierre, until she figures out her summer, she’s thinking of keep the family on home soil.
“Maybe explore more of Canada, you know, like maybe keep the dollar here and see more of Canada because we don’t really see much of it,” said Pierre.
According to the survey, four per cent of those in the Prairies were unsure of how a possible trade war would affect their travel plans.
The results came from a Nanos omnibus survey of 1,000 Canadians, taken between June 26 and 28, 2018. Participants were recruited by phone and administered an online survey. The margin of error for a random survey of 1,000 Canadians is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
