Canadians Heading South: A Shift in Travel Trends due to Trump's Policies
Canadians seek affordable fun in Mexico due to Trump's policies
Get the lowdown on the unexpected rise in Canadian tourists flocking to Mexico instead of the USA!
The Trump Factor
In Trump's latest trade round, Mexico escaped tariffs. However, his earlier tightened rules for imports from Mexico and Canada left many goods facing a hefty 25 percent tax if they weren't part of the USMCA trade agreement. Clearly, this isn't great for business. But while the USA may suffer economically, Mexico is thriving as a tourist destination.
POLITICAL TURMOIL TO TOURISM BOOM
Increasingly, Canadian travelers are choosing Mexico as their holiday destination, steering clear of the USA due to political reasons. According to a Financial Times report, this shift is causing a surge in visitor numbers, so much so that some airlines are launching new flight routes to Mexico.
Taking Flight
Air Canada and Air Transat have upped the ante with new non-stop flights to Guadalajara and increased winter connections to other Mexican destinations. Reduced flights from Canada to the USA in favor of Mexico are also being reported.
Trump's Response
With a growing tourism industry in the doldrums, Mexico could gain from increased interest in the country as a tourist destination. In 2023, tourism accounted for around 8.6 percent of Mexico's GDP, but with a forecasted recession this year due to Trump's tariffs, the industry could use the boost.
Mexico's Tourism Minister Rodríguez Zamora told the Financial Times that the relationship between Mexico and Canada has become more like a brotherhood, suggesting that Canadians are favoring the friendlier policy of their neighbors over the USA.
CANADIAN PATRIOTISM MEETS TOURISM
A wave of patriotic boycott of American goods and travel has swept through Canada since Trump's threats of annexation and new high tariffs. Reports of harsh treatment of tourists upon entry to the USA are also deterring travel. Even Mexican tourists are staying away from the USA. The number of Mexican tourists flying to the USA in March of this year decreased by almost a quarter compared to 2024, according to the US Commerce Department.
TRUMP'S TAKE
Despite a 12 percent decrease in overseas visitors in March, Trump doesn't seems too phased, dismissing any concerns about possible arrests upon entry as baseless. "No, we treat our tourists well," he insists, claiming that a little nationalism isn't a concern.
SOURCES
- ntv.de
- jki
USACanadaMexicoTourism IndustryAirlines
- The community of Canadians is shifting their travel trends, opting for Mexico over the USA due to Trump's policies.
- Vocational training in various industries could potentially attract more visitors to Mexico, given the thriving tourism sector as a result of Trump's tariffs.
- As the USA grapples with the economic impact of tariffs, a visitor boom in Mexico may help finance its lifestyle and general news, including the travel industry.
- The increasing number of Canadians choosing Mexico as their holiday destination is especially significant since some airlines have launched new flight routes to Guadalajara.
- On WhatsApp and other platforms, conversations about the political turmoil in the USA and friendlier policies in Mexico may influence the choice of many vocational trainees or tourists.
- War-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice incidents in the USA, as reported in the general news, might also factor into the decision of Canadians to snub the USA in favor of Mexico for travel and other purposes.
- If current travel trends persist, Mexico's vocational training programs and industries, such as tourism, could see further growth, benefiting from increased visitor numbers from Canada and other nations.
