Nykole King
Regina Leader-Post
Shirley Cuschieri used to travel to the U.S. twice a year, but it remains to be seen if future visits are in the cards as she plans upcoming vacations for Canadian and European destinations.
For example, an annual girls’ trip was tentatively scheduled for September in Las Vegas, but Cuschieri and two friends decided to exchange their Sin City shopping excursion for a spa trip to the Rocky Mountains in Banff and Canmore, Alta.
“We just realized that it didn’t matter where we were, so much as none of us could stomach the idea of supporting U.S. tourism,” said the Saskatoon resident.
Why now?
Cuschieri is part of a recent trend as some Canadians choose to ditch U.S. travel due to a strained bilateral relationship since President Donald Trump entered office for his second term.
Her principled stance is about more than just the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade war, she says, adding that it might take a change of government for her to reconsider due in part to concerns over democracy and human rights issues.
“I’m feeling that if I never get to go to the United States again, I think I’ll be fine,” she said. “There’s too many other things that I want to do, and too many other places that I want to go in this world. I could live without it now.
“The longer people go without doing things in the United States, I think the longer it becomes easier.”
The Canadian tourism sector would be an obvious beneficiary — Saskatchewan included.
What the numbers say
According to Statistics Canada, 23 per cent fewer Canadians were tallied re-entering the country in the first half of 2025 after a U.S. visit — either by air, water or land — compared to the same time in 2024.
That data also showed fewer Americans coming to Canada this year — a drop of 3.8 per cent.
The Regina International Airport, however, says it has seen the number of passengers taking direct flights across the border go up by 48 per cent in the first seven months of this year compared to 2024.
An airport spokesperson attributed the anomaly to a new daily flight between Regina and Denver that was introduced this spring by U.S.-based United Airlines, along with last year’s addition of a Minneapolis route via WestJet.
The spokesperson added it was “great to see” that the load factor for U.S.-bound flights from YQR — measuring capacity filled by revenue-generating passengers — has maintained an approximate average of 70 to 80 per cent each month this year.
What the experts say
Looking at the overall trends, it’s not a surprise that some Canadians might be reconsidering whether to spend their holidays in the U.S. That’s according to Wayne Smith, director of the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“When people don’t feel safe, for whatever reason, they tend to stay closer to home,” said Smith. “Add in a feeling of patriotism and the sort of nationalistic feeling that’s going on, and then the willingness to support local businesses, put that all together (and) it’s actually a pretty good mix for the Canadian tourism industry.”
The Conference Board of Canada, an independent applied research organization, estimates that a shift away from U.S. tourism could result in travel spending within Canada increasing by $8.8 billion, according to its May report.
‘Closer to home’
The Manitou Springs Resort and Mineral Spa — located 120 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon — has had more customers than usual this year, according to assistant GM Carrie Schaan.
However, she says it’s not clear if that’s on account of post-pandemic recovery or spurred by the support-local movement.
Schaan hasn’t had time to crunch the numbers, but she estimates that the 105-room hotel is maintaining a 70 per cent occupancy rate during weekdays.
“Almost all year round we’re booked up on weekends and that is the norm,” said Schaan, who has worked there for 15 years. “Our weekdays are usually not quite as busy (whereas) this year we have been extremely busy …”
Where there’s smoke ….
Some travellers have opted to see more of the Saskatchewan wilderness this summer, despite persistent wildfires and smoke.
“Camping numbers remain consistent for the 2025 summer season, which is positive given that wildfires have had an impact on some of our northern parks this year,” the Sask. Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport said in an emailed statement.
Meanwhile, Tourism Regina says it’s already seeing “strong momentum” in the city, with visitor spending over the first half of 2025 up by 10.4 per cent compared to the same time last year.
“While we can’t be certain that it is a direct response from Saskatchewan residents opting to vacation within the country this summer, Regina is experiencing a notable boost in visitor activity,” the city department said in an emailed statement.
It also noted that the airport has seen 9.6 per cent more arrivals so far this year while the average hotel occupancy rate is up by four per cent compared to the first half of 2024.
“These indicators point to a strong, positive tourism outlook for Regina in 2025 and reinforce the value of choosing Canadian destinations for summer travel,” added the statement.
nyking@postmedia.com
