Canadians Boycott U.S. Ski Resorts Over Trump’s Policies
Canadians are choosing to avoid U.S. ski resorts in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his comments about potentially making Canada the “51st state.” This boycott has resort owners worried as they see a drop in season pass sales.
After Trump returned to office last year, he imposed significant tariffs—25% on Canadian imports—and made remarks about annexing Canada, which understandably upset many Canadians. There have even been renewed statements targeting Greenland recently.
Ski resorts across the U.S., from Maine to Montana, are feeling the impact as Canadians skip travel to the States, leading to a sharp decrease in season pass purchases, as noted by various reports.
Recent data from Inntopia shows that as of last Thursday, bookings from Canada for winter trips to American resorts decreased by about 41%. In contrast, American bookings only fell by 5% during the same period.
Jay Peak in Vermont, which relies heavily on Canadian visitors—more than half its profits come from them—is experiencing a downturn. Resort president Steve Wright shared that renewals for the 2025-26 season are significantly down, about 35%. He even reached out to around 100 season pass holders to find out why they weren’t returning this year.
Wright recounted that during a previous congressional testimony regarding Trump’s trade policies, many Canadians expressed deep emotion about being unable to travel to the U.S. in good conscience.
As Canadians increasingly choose to travel domestically, U.S. resorts are desperate to attract them back. They are offering discounts, translating communications into French, and accepting the Canadian dollar at par with the U.S. dollar.
Staff members at U.S. resorts are making an effort to improve their image among Canadian visitors, aiming to diminish the negative feelings towards the U.S. “Canadians are outraged by what appears to be a betrayal by a longtime friend,” Tom Foley, a director at Inntopia, mentioned.
Interestingly, data indicates that Canadian bookings often drop within just two days following Trump’s controversial statements. A recent survey revealed that about 78% of Canadian travel agency leaders reported a decline in U.S. bookings compared to the previous year.
Aimer O’Leary-Barrette, a data analyst from Montreal and a frequent Jay Peak visitor, mentioned feeling oddly guilty about renewing her pass but ultimately decided to do so because of Vermont’s liberal stance.
Tourism is a significant aspect of Vermont’s economy, contributing 9% to its GDP, while nationally, it’s only 3%. The province saw a reduction in revenue of approximately $75 million last year due to decreased visitors from the U.S., leading local officials to even rename Burlington’s shopping street as “Canada Street” temporarily to ease tensions.
U.S. resort owners won’t fully grasp the season’s impact until March when Quebec and Ontario schools close for holidays, typically leading to an influx of Canadian visitors.
Currently, Jay Peak is seeing a booking decrease of about 10 to 15 percent, which is better than earlier benchmarks. “Maybe some Canadians are starting to forget that,” Wright remarked about the geopolitical issues.
Heavy snowfall has likely had a positive effect as well, with resorts experiencing record levels of snow accumulation before Christmas.
The remainder of the ski season remains uncertain as Trump continues to promote tariffs and eye potential territorial claims, like Greenland. O’Leary-Barrette has made a firm decision not to renew her Jay Peak pass for the next year.
“Some level of trust has been broken, and it’s going to be incredibly difficult to restore,” Foley noted. “The U.S. travel industry shouldn’t count on a quick recovery from the Canadian market.”
