Canadians Are Boycotting the US — But Are American Travelers Still Welcome in Canada?

The vineyard-dotted Eastern Townships region of southern Quebec has a message for Americans: come hug it out.

The region’s tourist board released a promotional video on May 26 featuring an English-speaking tourist who admits to being American—only to receive a big hug from a French-speaking hotel receptionist.

It’s part of a CA$150,000 (US$109,000) ad campaign timed for the start of the summer travel season and aimed at US vacationers.

Isabelle Charlebois, general director of Tourism Eastern Townships, said the video is meant to reassure American visitors that “they are not only expected this summer, but truly welcome.”

If travelers need that reassurance, it may be because some are questioning whether now is the right time to visit Canada.

“When our administration starts talking about making Canada the 51st state, I could understand if Canadian border patrol might be giving extra scrutiny to Americans,” said Brian Kirchhoff of Middlebury, Vermont, to CNN.

While he still plans to attend the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal next month, Kirchhoff is concerned that escalating rhetoric from the White House might create uncomfortable dynamics abroad.

“I just don’t know what attitudes are going to be as the situation continues to unfold,” he said.

Travel Hesitations with Political Roots

Melissa Curtin McDavitt, a Fora Travel adviser in Los Angeles, was surprised when clients canceled a planned girls’ getaway to Quebec City—one of the safest cities in Canada—citing political concerns.

“I was shocked,” she said. “Like, ‘Are you sure?’”

Other American travelers have taken to social media forums to ask Canadians directly. “We don’t want to stir up trouble,” wrote one Reddit user. “Is it appropriate for us to visit?”

Andrew Siegwart, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), confirmed that tourism operators are fielding similar concerns.

“Our members across the province are hearing questions like: ‘Is it going to be seamless to cross the border? Are we really going to be welcome?’” Siegwart said.

From ‘Elbows Up’ to ‘Arms Open’

The economic stakes are high. In the third quarter of last year, nearly 79% of international visitors to Canada were Americans. US travelers spent $6.6 billion during that period, according to Statistics Canada.

“The US market is a really strong part of the economy,” Siegwart emphasized.

Yet, he noted, US trips to Canada declined in both February and March—marking the first year-over-year drops since 2021. About a third of TIAO members have reported fewer summer bookings from Americans compared to the same period in 2024.

“We’re concerned about the impacts of the trade dispute on travel plans by our US neighbors,” he said.

To counter this, Ontario tourism partners are extending heartfelt invitations. “We really are ‘arms open’ to the world and our US visitors,” Siegwart said—a play on the “elbows up” slogan of Canadian resistance to US tariffs.

In western Canada, a group of grizzly bear tour operators is launching a “Hey, Neighbor!” campaign this month. The ad features small business owners addressing Americans directly:

“We’ve been hearing your questions up here in British Columbia. You’re wondering if you’re still welcome,” the video begins. “Come on up. You’re always welcome.”

But What About Regular Canadians?

Skeptics might note that tourism officials have a clear reason to roll out the welcome mat. Ad campaigns don’t always reflect public sentiment.

A recent YouGov poll found that nearly two-thirds of Canadians now view the US as “unfriendly” or an “enemy” nation—and 61% say they’re boycotting American products.

At NHL and NBA games, Canadian fans have even booed the US national anthem.

Still, many Canadians insist that political tension doesn’t mean hostility toward individuals.

“We welcome Americans—as long as they are respectful of our sovereignty and our culture. We aren’t anti-American; we’re pro-Canadian,” said Jessica Langer Kapalka, co-owner of Toronto’s ultra-patriotic Grizzly Bar, where portraits of Canadian icons from Celine Dion to David Suzuki hang proudly.

Other gestures of goodwill abound. Canadian TikToker Tod Maffin posted an open invitation to Americans earlier this year, encouraging them to visit his hometown of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

On April 26, some 500 people took him up on it, gathering in Maffeo Sutton Park to meet the mayor and sample Nanaimo bars.

“It filled my heart,” Maffin said. “When it comes to rank-and-file Americans, nothing has changed with the relationship and love and kinship that Canadians feel with the people across the border.”

Responses to American social media posts have largely echoed that sentiment. One Reddit user advised: “Lay off the 51st state ‘jokes’ and you are welcome with open arms. Have fun, enjoy this beautiful country.”

Blake Smith of Kitchener, Ontario, agrees. “Even Canadians frustrated with US politics don’t have a problem with Americans as people,” he said.

He encourages visitors to treat a Canadian vacation as a reset from the chaos of current affairs. “Leave your troubles at home. Turn off the part of your brain that’s doomscrolling,” he said. “Most people here just want to get along.”