'U.S. tourism is going to lose out': Calgarians looking elsewhere to travel this year
'Europe, I think, is going to be quite strong this year because the Canadian dollar seems to be holding up quite well against the euro'

With the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian products still looming and the loonie taking a hit against the U.S. dollar, Calgarians are likely going to be looking for places other than the United States to spend their travel dollars this year, say travel agents.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that “proposed tariffs” between Canada and the United States will be on hold for at least 30 days while they work together on the border. Meanwhile, the loonie traded as low as US67.6 cents early Monday, the lowest it’s been since 2003, before rebounding to 68.48 cents.
Calgary-based travel agent Lesley Keyter, known as The Travel Lady, said Canadians who typically travel to places such as Phoenix, Ariz., Palm Springs, Calif., or Las Vegas might now change their plans.
“I think U.S. tourism is going to lose out,” she said Monday.
Clients who had planned to fly to the U.S. for a cruise are now considering cancelling those trips, said Keyter.
“It doesn’t just seem to be about the money,” she said.
“It seems to be about the whole atmosphere there — Canadians versus (Americans), which is not very nice, what we’re seeing online and through social media.”
But the United States is far from the only place Canadians travel, she said.
“Europe, I think, is going to be quite strong this year because the Canadian dollar seems to be holding up quite well against the euro,” said Keyter.
Portugal and Spain, particularly in the south of those countries, are currently popular European destinations for Canadian travellers, where they can bask in warm weather and buy cheap food and drink.
“It’s been a big seller for us,” Keyter said.
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‘There’s a lot to do within Canada’
Her travel agency is seeing a big push from Canadian suppliers to book people to take vacations within Canada, to see places such as Newfoundland and Labrador, or Canada’s north for polar bear excursions and to see the northern lights.
“There’s a lot to do within Canada,” said Keyter.
In a speech Saturday, Trudeau suggested as much.
“It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations our great country has to offer,” he said.
Keyter said that with punitive tariffs still potentially coming, Canadians are retaliating, avoiding spending on U.S. products, including food and travel.
“Why would they spend money on a holiday in Vegas or Florida when they’re punishing us like this?”
Sonika Aggarwel, manager of Calgary-based Sunrise Travels, said the agency books many of its clients on trips to Asian countries such as India and Pakistan through the United States, but got calls Monday morning from clients wanting to avoid travelling through the U.S. on their way to their final destination due to tariffs. They are being offered alternatives, such as flights through Europe and direct flights.
“One of the clients said (U.S. officials) might be doing more checking on us because we’re going from Canada, so we want to avoid that,” she said.
Other clients are delaying trips to Disneyland due to the current uncertainty surrounding U.S. travel, and might end up going elsewhere, she said.
“People will be going on vacations, but it will be rerouted.”
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