ACTA Condemns U.S. Tariffs, Advisors Speak Out on Travel Impact
by Bruce Parkinson
Photo: Fsendek / Shutterstock.com
The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA) has issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns” the sweeping tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canadian goods that are set to take effect Tuesday, February 4.
“While travel agencies and advisors may not be directly targeted, the economic consequences will be severe – higher costs for businesses, weaker consumer confidence and reduced travel spending,” the association said.
ACTA expressed its belief that tariffs will not only harm Canadian businesses, but also hurt American consumers and companies that rely on trade with Canada.
“History has proven that protectionist policies do not strengthen economies; they weaken them. We urge the U.S. government to immediately reverse these tariffs on Canada and other key allies,” ACTA stated.
“Travel is an essential economic driver, and policies that undermine confidence in our markets threaten the livelihoods of thousands of Canadian travel professionals. The time to act is now,” the ACTA statement concludes.
Meanwhile, Canadian advisor groups on Facebook and elsewhere lit up over the weekend, mostly expressing outrage over the tariffs and President Trump’s musings about absorbing Canada as the 51st state. They also bemoaned the weakness of the Canadian dollar, which many economists believe could decline further as the tariffs bite.
Some advisors argued that politics should not play a role in travel decisions, while others stated their belief that boycotting the U.S. as a travel destination is one of the few ways they can wield their own economic power.
Advisors posting online shared anecdotes about client reactions and their own feelings about the unprecedented state of Canada/U.S. relations. Here’s a sampling of some of the comments:
- “For my clients, politics aren’t impacting bookings to U.S., but the CAD/USD exchange rate is. This goes right into cruise bookings as well, once hotels, onboard purchases/drink packages, etc., come into the mix.”
- “I have a large LGBTQIA2S + following. Travel to the U.S. — and many other destinations as well — are not in their plans.”
- “Unless they build a Las Vegas in Canada, I will go to the U.S. without hesitation. It will take someone a lot smarter than Donald Trump to make me stop enjoying my life.”
- “I, personally, was going to go skiing in the U.S. and I have cancelled. Do not want to support the U.S. at the moment. Whether it is for travel or groceries.”
- “My only power is where I spend my money, I have not been to the U.S. since 2016. I refuse to support them in any way.”
- “I’m going to travel to the USA. I’m going to continue training on the USA. I’m going to continue supporting my clients who want to travel there. If my conversations with clients veer into the political, I will give them a pretty brochure and bring the focus back to business.”
- “I just talked to two couples today. Both are cancelling their USA tour in the summer and want to cruise UK. I said I can gladly help you with that.”
- “I’m selling lots and lots of Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands. Clients no longer want to winter in the USA. Mostly they cite the political attacks on Canada as the reason.”
- “Between the value of our dollar and the talk of annexation and tariff wars, a lot of Canadians will not want to go to the U.S. for a while.”
Stay tuned for continuing coverage of this important issue in the coming days, and feel free to share your opinions on our Facebook page.
