Trade war fueling B.C. tourism industry as many decline to travel south

With more Canadians avoiding trips to the U.S. due to the trade war, the province’s tourism industry is seeing more domestic travelers.

The Coho ferry was only two third’s full Tuesday morning as it left the inner harbour in Victoria, headed for Port Angeles.

Normally, it would be packed with British Columbians heading to the states for spring break.

“We’re down approximately 20 per cent in Canadians,” said Ryan Burles with Ball Ferry Line, the company that operates the ferry. Burles noted that American travellers coming to Victoria on the vessel were actually up modestly, between one and five percent.

Victoria’s inner harbour was busy Tuesday with tourists, many from Canada who were deterred from travelling to the United States because of the low Canadian dollar, but especially, the escalating trade war with the U.S.

Rod Brown and his wife were visiting from Winnipeg, and say they don’t plan to vacation in America anytime soon.

“Every year we used to go two or three times down to the States to visit our daughter, not anymore. She’s coming up here to visit us,” he told CTV.

BC ferries was slammed Tuesday, with a five sailing wait in the morning for folks heading to Swartz Bay, as British Columbians stuck around the province for spring break holidays.

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs stats show there were nearly 500,000 fewer land border crossings to the U.S. by Canadians this February compared to last year.

The Trump tariff tension hasn’t discouraged Americans from coming north, however. Bookings by U.S. tourists at Victoria’s Magnolia Hotel are up 30 - 40 per cent through the summer, said its manager Bill Lewis.

“The dollar is certainly helping us attract Americans, particularly from our close neighbouring states,” said Lewis.

The combination of Canadians sticking close to home and Americans continuing to travel north means a boon for B.C.’s tourism industry, including in Tofino. At the Wickaninnish Inn, reservations are up through the summer.

“It’s a fortunate mix actually, more fortunate than most industries, certainly those that are export oriented industries in our country,” said Charles McDiarmid, the hotel’s owner and manager.