Vancouver restaurants, Victoria breweries, and Tofino beaches might be a tad more crowded this summer.
Driving the news: Many Canadians are planning to use more of their PTO at home this summer, and B.C. is expected to see a lot of the action. According to Destination B.C., airline bookings from other provinces to B.C. are up ~33% compared to 2024.
- One B.C. tourism business, Fresh Adventures, told CBC News that it’s already seen a ~66% rise in bookings by Canadians compared to last year.
Why it’s happening: Thanks to tariffs, a weak loonie, and fears about being detained at the border, Canadians are steering clear of the U.S. Last month, there was a 32% decline in Canadian road trips to the U.S. and a 13.5% drop in flights compared to 2024.
- WestJet, Air Canada, and Porter Airlines have all started to reduce some flight frequencies or cut the capacity of planes making trips between Canada and the U.S.
- Despite Canadians boycotting U.S. trips, Destination B.C. says more Americans have booked trips to B.C. for this summer than they did last year.
Why it matters: Tourism businesses in B.C. employ about 126,000 people. The surge in travellers looking to shell out cash for hotels, craft beers, and kayak tours will be a sight for sore eyes during a time of economic uncertainty across Canada.—LA