Domestic travel and increase in American visitors fuel expectations for strong summer of tourism in B.C.

Many Canadians are choosing not to travel to the U.S. this summer, but it doesn't look like Americans are avoiding B.C.

With the May long weekend finished, summer has unofficially begun. And despite some cool weather Tuesday, it’s shaping up to be a hot tourist season in B.C., according to Destination B.C.’s Maya Lange.

“We’re expecting a very strong tourism season in B.C. this year,” said Lange Tuesday.

A modest increase in visitors from countries like Australia, Germany and the U.K. is forecast, and domestic travel from British Columbians and Canadians more broadly is predicted to be up 10 to 15 per cent from 2024, buoyed by folks boycotting travel to the United States.

The decline in U.S.-bound travellers hurts the Coho Ferry’s bottom line. It travels daily between Victoria and Port Angeles. Business is down 20 per cent overall, but most of that decline is from Canadians.

Americans are still drawn here by their purchasing power, and so far remain generally undeterred by the trade war.

In fact, Americans are flying to B.C. for overnight stays in droves – estimated as a double-digit increase over last summer, according to Lange.

And in Victoria, conference facilities that are typically booked years in advance are getting a boost from last-minute cancellations in the U.S.

“We received a few last-minute conferences that we were able to shoehorn in,” said Destination Greater Victoria’s Paul Nursey. “Two or three conferences repatriated to Canada because of the geopolitical thing.”