On one of the most tense weekends in recent US-Canada relations, Rebecca Shapiro felt lucky to have a Canadian passport.
The 33-year-old was on holiday in New York as trade talks between the two countries’ leaders broke down in acrimony, and saved hundreds of dollars on several of the city’s attractions thanks to a marketing promotion that is trying to lure disenchanted Canadians back to the city.
Rattled by the Trump administration’s hostility towards Canada, Shapiro’s sister in Montreal said she would not visit the US. “But I don’t believe in withholding my tourism dollars,” she said.
After a breakdown in relations between the normally close allies that started when Donald Trump returned to office last year and reached a new low this week when he renamed Lake Ontario “Lake America”, US cities and regions have launched a charm offensive to their northern neighbours, scrambling to counter their president’s belligerent rhetoric.
Canadians have borne the brunt of the US administration’s rhetoric for months. Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex Canada as the 51st US state and his administration has upended trade by imposing tariffs on steel and automobiles, with Ottawa in turn promising retaliatory duties.
But in New York, where people know how to hustle for a dollar — or a loonie — the vibe is different.
For three weeks this summer, selected businesses have offered steep discounts on hotels, flights, restaurants and attractions under the “Northern Neighbour Deal”.
They’ve also tried to show their appreciation in other ways. On Canada Day, July 1, landmarks such as the Empire State Building were lit up in red and white to honour the country’s national colours.
New York State’s official tourism website proclaims: “New York loves Canada. We’re lucky to have neighbours like you!”
The charm offensive is not limited to the Big Apple. In Las Vegas, hotels are offering Canadians “Vegas at Par”, a favourable 1:1 exchange rate.
Meanwhile, a ski resort in Vermont on Wednesday addressed Canadians in an open letter. Steve Wright, general manager of Jay Peak Resort, who testified to Congress on the impact of Trump’s tariffs last year, said he understands why Canadians might not want to travel to the US at the moment.
“While we’re not particularly interested in telling anyone what to think about tariffs, trade policy or politics, we do have an opinion about anything that makes good neighbors feel farther apart,” he wrote. “We don’t like it.”
Their efforts were not helped by Trump declaring on Truth Social last week: “WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!”
Tourism operators across the country are not so sure.
Over the past year, the number of Canadians visiting the US has dropped 25 per cent compared with 2024, while the number of US visitors to Canada has gone up. Canadians spent C$3.3bn less in 2025 than the previous year on travel to the US according to the Canadian government.
Varun Deedwaniya, co-founder of Viral Food Tours in New York City, who took Shapiro and her family on a culinary tour, said that 30 to 40 per cent of his clients used to be Canadians. “Recently it’s been closer to 10,” he added.
With the border only a six-hour drive from New York, Canadians have traditionally been the city’s second-largest visitor group after visitors from the United Kingdom. Canadian tourists spent more than $1bn in 2024 according to the New York City Mayor’s office.
Canadian travel to the US had started to recover from its 2025 low in the second quarter of this year, but recent tensions have reignited the “Elbows Up” movement (a national rallying cry and nod to Canada’s national sport ice hockey) that is calling for a boycott of US products and travel.
Julie Coker, CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, the organisation promoting discounts for Canadian travellers, is trying to remain upbeat. “There are ebbs and flows in our political relationship,” she said. “We are here when visitors are ready to return as before.”
But businesses are paying the price of the cross-border tensions.
Mark Bello, owner of Pizza School NYC, says he has had just one booking so far through the Northern Neighbor Deal promotion. He said he is offering the discount because he supports its spirit.
“We love Canadians and we’re really hoping to welcome them back,” he said.
On the other side of the border, however, the mood is defiant.
Jared Purdy, a professor at a Toronto community college, has been boycotting the US as a travel destination ever since Trump took office in 2016. The 66-year-old said he returns products to the shelf at the grocery store if they are made in America.
He is not planning to drop his boycott any time soon.
“You want our money, but what are you doing to change what you and your electorate have caused us and the whole world?” he said. “Fix your mess first and then we talk.”
Data visualisation by Michael Taffe
