Fewer Canadians Heading to U.S. This Month; Great Getaways Abound + Aeroplan and Maui News

We might be seeing some of the first data that shows Canadians are, indeed, avoiding travel to the United States.

Global News reports that numbers provided by a company called Cascade Gateway, which also provides border wait times, shows that in February this year so far, there have been on average 3,500 cars heading to the U.S. through the Peace Arch border crossing between British Columbia and Washington State. That compares to nearly 5,000 a day last February, and represent a significant 30% drop.

Weather could be an issue, but officials in Washington State say the threatened, on again/off again tariff threats against Canada appear to be having an effect.

“It’s early days,” border policy researcher at Western Washington University, Laurie Trautman, told Global News.“But if we combine the numbers with kind of what we’re seeing on the ground, I think it does sort of point to impacts from those threats.”

The U.S. Travel Association has warned that even a 10% drop in Canada visits to the United States would mean a loss of $2.1 billion USD in spending, and could cost 14,000 jobs.

Air Canada has said it will cancel some flights to U.S. destinations in March, including Las Vegas, Arizona and Florida.

 Arizona tourism officials held an event in Toronto this week and told my friends at Open Jaw that they’re easing up on their marketing efforts in Canada for “a few months.”

“We don’t want to be tone-deaf. A lot of destinations are doing that,” said Marjorie Magnusson of the Arizona Office of Tourism. 

Charmaine Singh, president and CEO of Reach Global Marketing in Toronto, which represents Arizona tourism and also New York City tourism in Canada, said Canadians aren’t about to give up on U.S. travel.

Even with an unfavourable exchange rate, many experiences in the U.S. still provide better value than domestic Canadian travel, Singh told Open Jaw.

I tend to agree with Singh. Certain places may suffer in the short term. Some snowbirds might swap Arizona for, say, Cancun, or Florida for the Bahamas. But theatre lovers in Canada will still want to see Broadway shows, and Canadians with condos in Naples will almost certainly keep going to South Florida.

The next round of cross-border travel numbers from Statistics Canada will be interesting, so stay tuned for that.

WHERE CANADIANS ARE GOING INSTEAD OF THE U.S.: JIM’S TIPS ON PORTUGAL, COLOMBIA AND MORE

Forbes had an interesting item this week from Flight Centre Canada that talked about places Canadians are visiting in place of trips to the U.S.

It was a good list that had a nice sprinkling of destinations, most of them quite reasonably priced. And that’s important given the low Canadian dollar.

Here are the places Flight Centre mentioned, all of which I’ve had the pleasure of visiting, 

TURKIYE

 

I was in Istanbul for eight days or so last November, attending a meeting of the Society of American Travel Writers. It’s a fabulous, diverse city with a wealth of tremendous attractions, including royal palaces, beautiful mosques and underground cisterns. Not to mention great food, amazing markets and fun neighborhoods to explore. Turkiye also offers up towering mountains, Mediterranean beaches and the famous hot air balloon rides in Capadoccia.

COLOMBIA

 

I was in Bogota for another meeting of the Society of American Travel Writers in 2022, and thought it was outstanding. The food scene was outstanding, and there were lovely murals and street art all around. It’s also a very reasonable country in terms of prices. I didn’t get to Cartagena, a beautiful city on the Gulf of Mexico, or to Medellin. But I hear great things about both.

VIETNAM

 

I had a four-day visit to this fascinating country maybe a dozen years ago. I loved the energy and the food in Hanoi. I got to watch folks of all ages stretch and dance about on the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake for their morning and evening tai-chi. I saw thousands of communal-minded Vietnamese gathered at 7 a.m. on a Monday morning, sipping soup and braising meats as they sat on tiny plastic chairs on the sidewalk, inches from buzzing mopeds and women with conical hats burdened with those long carrying poles layered with dozens of mangoes or pineapples. I also got to explore the touristy but beautiful floating villages and take a boat ride in Halong Bay, one of the most striking destinations I’ve ever visited. Again, the Canadian dollar goes a LONG way here.

EASTERN EUROPE

 

I have found many places in Eastern Europe that I adore, including the entire country of Slovenia. With a nod to David Crombie, the short former leader of Toronto who was nicknamed “The Tiny, Perfect Mayor,” I like to call Slovenia “The Tiny, Perfect Country.” Lake Bled (terrible name) is one of the most charming pieces of real estate in Europe, with a lovely church perched atop a small island in a lake that’s surrounded by tidy walking trails, and with a castle perched on a hill and towering, snow-capped mountains in the distance. Even Artificial Intelligence couldn’t design a prettier location. I also love the city of Ljubljana, which has a river running through it, a small castle on a hill and lovely pastel buildings in shades of pale yellow and robin’s egg blue. The countryside has racing rivers that are great for expert kayakers and beautiful caves, as well as very good wine. Other Eastern European places I love include Bratislava, Slovakia (beautiful town square and welcoming locals) and the fairy tale village of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.

MEXICO

 

Cancun is too busy for my taste, but I love traipsing around Mayan ruins such as Tulum and Coba. I also enjoy the relatively small coastal city of Puerto Morelos. I had a nice visit to Cabo San Lucas a few years ago. I’ve never been to the Pacific Coast, but friends and family tell me they quite enjoy Puerto Vallarta. I was in Mexico City maybe 20 years ago and thought the food and architecture were outstanding.

PORTUGAL

 

My wife and I and some friends rented an apartment in the Algarve town of Burgau a few years ago and loved it. The beach is quite nice, and there’s a fine bar on the sand that makes a good Sangria. The little town is dotted with seafood restaurants, some of them quite exceptional. And a good bottle of Portuguese wine can be had for less than $10. The hiking along the cliffs near Burgau is a huge treat, and you’re an easy car or bus ride to the bustling town of Lagos, where you can shop or take a sea kayak excursion around beautiful caves. I adore Lisbon, which has several wonderful neighborhoods like the Alfama district. Climb to the top of the hill above Alfama and enjoy the city views from Castelo de Sao Jorge. Don’t miiss a ride on the rickety number Tram 28 streetcar, and DEFINITELY don’t miss the city’s famous custard pastry, the pasteis/pastel de nata. Lisbon has several great beaches, and you’re only a short ride from the marvelous hilltop palaces of Sintra.

WHERE YOUR DOLLAR GOES FURTHER: AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

The Canadian dollar is down against many major currencies, but not so for Australia or New Zealand. As of Feb. 27, 2025, the Canadian dollar gets you $1.11 Australian dollars and a tidy $1.23 New Zealand dollars. Neither destination is cheap to get to, but the exchange rate makes both pretty attractive for Canadians right now. Also, keep in mind that tipping is generally expected in either country, so you don’t need to add 15 or 20% to the cost of every meal. If you spent $1000 on meals in a week, which isn’t much, you might save $200. If you’re an American the exchange rate is even better. One US dollar will get you $1.60 Australian dollars and a crazy $1.77 in New Zealand currency.

AEROPLAN FAMILY SHARING OPEN FOR NEW ENROLLMENTS

Aeroplan’s popular Family Sharing feature is once again open for new enrollments. Aeroplan members can now create new pools and earn rewards faster together.

The process is just as seamless as before, officials said, with all the features our Aeroplan members love:

• Up to 8 verified family members can join together to share points–while keeping their own Aeroplan accounts
• All points earned, including their existing points balances, are added into the shared pool
• Members with redemption privileges can use points from the shared balance to redeem rewards
• A Primary Aeroplan Credit Cardholder in the family pool means that everyone enjoys their preferred pricing benefit!
• In some cases, an additional identity verification step will  be required to provide extra protection against unauthorized use under the terms of the program.

MAUI TOURISM GETS GOVERNMENT BOOST

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says the state has committed $6.3 million to help boost tourism recovery efforts, specifically addressing economic impacts from the Maui wildfires and anticipated effects from the Los Angeles County wildfires, which could hurt incoming visits from Maui’s most important mainland market.

“It is clear that both visitation statistics and room accommodations demand are lagging pre-wildfire levels,” Michael Stathokostopoulos,  senior director of hospitality analytics with CoStar group, said of Maui.

Stathokostopoulos told Travel Weekly that in 2022, demand for hotel rooms in Maui had recovered to 87% of 2019 levels. In 2024, however, CoStar data shows that demand had dropped to 77% of 2019 levels. 

If you’re considering a great spot for a holiday in the sun, I strongly suggest Maui, a place I’ve been a good 30-35 times. Not only is it a spectacular destination, but you’ll be doing the local economy – and local workers – a world of good by spending your vacation dollars there. If you stay at one of the larger resorts, be sure to drop into some local restaurants or food trucks to support their businesses.

Here’s a story I wrote after my four-day visit to Maui in January of this year.