Fewer Americans are visiting Canada. Ad campaigns assure them they're welcome here

Late last year, Dan Davis of Cleveland, Ohio, began planning a motorcycle trip with friends this summer that includes several days in Ontario. 

But those plans became a little uncertain after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January and imposed tariffs on Canada, sparking a trade war. That, coupled with Trump's frequent threats to make Canada the 51st state, has sparked anger among many Canadians.

Davis noted that, in February, Canadians booed the U.S. national anthem at several NHL hockey games, and in March, the Canadian government ran a billboard campaign in a dozen U.S. states, including Ohio, declaring that Trump's "tariffs are a tax."

"Those things just made us wonder, 'Wow, are we going to be welcome in Canada?' " said Davis, adding that the licence plates on the group's motorcycles reveal they're from Ohio — a state Trump won in the 2024 election. 

"On a motorcycle, you're a little more vulnerable," he said. "All it takes is one person to say, 'You know what, I'm going to show these guys a lesson,' whether it's vandalizing a bike or … throwing a beer can at you."

Since Trump took office and Canada-U.S. relations have become strained, fewer Canadians are visiting the U.S., and fewer Americans are coming to Canada.

The number of trips Americans took to Canada by car declined 10.7 per cent in April and 8.4 per cent in May compared to the same time last year. Air travel declined 5.5 per cent in April and 0.3 per cent in May. 

Some tourism associations worry a number of Americans may be staying away because they fear a chilly reception, so they've launched ad campaigns which assure their neighbours they'll be warmly welcomed. 

It's a worthy cause considering what's at stake: The majority of Canada's tourists come from the U.S., and they spent $15.3 billion in the country last year. 

"It was really important for us to send the message to these visitors … that they are truly welcome, not to be scared to visit us," said Isabelle Charlebois, general director of Tourism Eastern Townships, a region in southeastern Quebec near the U.S. border. 

The group launched a TV ad in late May, running in New England and New York state. Set in the Eastern Townships, it shows a U.S. tourist whispering sheepishly to a hotel clerk that he's American. The clerk smiles knowingly, and gives the American a big, warm hug. "Come hug it out in the Eastern Townships," says the tagline. 

Charlebois says the ad campaign was partly inspired by the fact that local tourism operators were fielding numerous calls from concerned Americans.

"They were calling … asking if they should postpone their trip, or if they will be welcome in Quebec," she said. "This relationship we have with our neighbour is really important for us. That's why we sent this message, and I hope it works."

In May, out of the 200 businesses surveyed by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, 32 per cent reported lower summer bookings by Americans compared to the same time last year.