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Canadians on their travel plans: Done with Disney, no to New York

Save for laterReaders of this newsletter have been sharing their stories about cancelled trips to the United States.The conversation about boycotting U.S. travel began with a newsletter a few weeks ago that included a reader’s letter to a dozen state tourism offices. “Dear American friends” he wrote. “In light of your administration’s unilateral abandonment of its negotiated free trade agreement with Canada, we are reluctantly cancelling all future visits to the wonderful U.S. cultural, commercial and open spaces that we regularly used to enjoy so much.”The letter prompted newsletter readers to contribute their own stories of cancelled travel plans. Numbers documenting the decline in travel by Canadians to the U.S. are piling up. Now for some specific stories:“Just to let you know my wife and I have cancelled a planned fall road trip to New Mexico. I have e-mailed the tourism department of New Mexico to advise them. And I also invited them to apply to join Canada. I’ll let you know if they respond.”“We cancelled our plans to take the grandchildren to Disney due to political situation in the U.S.”“My husband and I booked a cruise one year ago, sailing from Seattle to Alaska the end of May. We have now made the painful decision to cancel the trip and forfeit a large sum of money, all in U.S. funds. We would feel like hypocrites to do anything but cancel.”“We were thinking of a day trip [to the U.S.] and also another later in the year. With what’s been happening, these trips are completely off the table. We will vacation other places for the next several years.”“Just writing to say we cancelled the March Break trip to New York City because of the cruelty from the Trump administration toward the people of Canada.”Next, I’d like to hear where people are going instead of the United States. Send me your thoughts at rcarrick@globeandmail.com.Subscribe to Carrick on MoneyAre you reading this newsletter on the web or did someone forward the e-mail version to you? If so, you can sign up for Carrick on Money here.Rob’s personal finance reading listContext for the carnageGood info here on past stock market corrections and how the recent market pullback ranks. The takeaway here is that stocks fall hard from time to time. That’s investing.This is going to cost usA smart piece looking at how the federal election campaign has yet to address the state of the federal government’s finances. Fighting a trade war has its costs – how will they affect the deficit? Meantime, a consensus is emerging that we need to spend more on defence. That’s another strain on government finances. At some point, spending cuts are coming.The 411 on NSF feesA review of the excessive non-sufficient funds fee that banks charge when there isn’t enough money in your account to cover a debit. Starting next March, the federal government will cap NSF fees at $10. For now, they can be much higher.From our readersAsk RobQuestionI recently ran out of paper cheques. I only used them for rent, but the landlord is now allowing e-transfers. Do I need to get new cheques? They are ridiculously expensive.AnswerNegative. Cheques are still around, but they’re a non-essential player in our payments system. E-transfers all the way.Do you have a question for me? Send it my way. Sorry I can’t answer every one personally. Questions and answers are edited for length and clarity.Tools and guidesA financial survival guide for seniors from the Canadian Association of Retired PeopleIn the social sphereMore PF from The GlobeWhere are your tax slips? Why so much information is missing from CRA accounts this yearWhat tax changes are being proposed on the campaign trail? The hidden risk that LinkedIn and other professional networking sites pose to your retirement

India, Japan explore expansion of tourism

Initiatives like promoting Buddhist sites in India for Japanese tourists, encouraging Japanese student visits to the country and improving air connectivity between the two countries were among the key issues discussed for expanding bilateral tourism between India and Japan.The 4th Joint Working Group (JWG) Meeting on Tourism Cooperation between India and Japan also explored increased private sector involvement and strategies to harness media and influencer engagements for boosting tourist flow.Also Read | India, Japan joint military exercise to be held from February 24-March 9The meeting was co-chaired by Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Mugdha Sinha, and Haraikawa Naoya, Commissioner, Japan Tourism Agency (JTA). Also present were officials and private stakeholders from both countries, including representatives from airlines, tourism and travel associations and other government institutions.Some of the key organisations included the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) and Japan Airlines from the Japanese side.The Indian delegation comprised the Ministry of External Affairs, Civil Aviation, Education, and private stakeholders like the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) and Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO).The delegations from each side shared valuable inputs and discussed new investment opportunities to strengthen cooperation in tourism sector between both nations, according to an official statement by the Ministry of Tourism.The co-chairs of the two countries exchanged notes on the profile of the visitors and delved into data insights of tourists travelling between the two countries, including to Buddhist destinations, in order to undertake suitable policy interventions to make the destinations more attractive for the millennial tourists. Published – April 10, 2025 08:36 pm IST
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Travel to the U.S. is tanking

Save for laterThe travel boycott of President Donald Trump’s America is picking up speed, and Canadians are taking the lead.In March, the number of Canadian residents returning by vehicle from the U.S. fell 32 per cent from the year before, to 1.5 million, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.It was the third monthly decline in a row, and follows Mr. Trump’s imposition of an array of tariffs on Canadian goods and his repeated insults and attacks on Canadian sovereignty.Canada isn’t alone in ditching travel to the U.S. When Delta Air Lines scrapped its financial forecast for the year on Wednesday, it blamed the decision on a travel industry that has “largely stalled.” However, when it comes to foreigners visiting the U.S. by air, travel has outright collapsed.International arrivals at several major U.S. airports have plummeted, down by between 10 and 15 per cent compared with a year ago, according to passenger numbers published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The trend stands in stark contrast to domestic passenger traffic, which has held steady or increased from last year.The sudden drop in international visits to the U.S. reflects anger at Mr. Trump’s flailing trade war as well as fears about being detained at the U.S. border, after numerous reports of tourists being arrested.The spreading travel boycott is expected to tear a hole in America’s massive tourism industry. Canadians spent $30-billion on travel in the U.S. in 2023, double what Americans spent here. Even a 10-per-cent drop in that spending would lead to 14,000 job losses in the travel sector, the U.S. Travel Association warned in February.Decoder is a weekly feature that unpacks an important economic chart.

Travel to the U.S. is tanking

Save for laterThe travel boycott of President Donald Trump’s America is picking up speed, and Canadians are taking the lead.In March, the number of Canadian residents returning by vehicle from the U.S. fell 32 per cent from the year before, to 1.5 million, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.It was the third monthly decline in a row, and follows Mr. Trump’s imposition of an array of tariffs on Canadian goods and his repeated insults and attacks on Canadian sovereignty.Canada isn’t alone in ditching travel to the U.S. When Delta Air Lines scrapped its financial forecast for the year on Wednesday, it blamed the decision on a travel industry that has “largely stalled.” However, when it comes to foreigners visiting the U.S. by air, travel has outright collapsed.International arrivals at several major U.S. airports have plummeted, down by between 10 and 15 per cent compared with a year ago, according to passenger numbers published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The trend stands in stark contrast to domestic passenger traffic, which has held steady or increased from last year.The sudden drop in international visits to the U.S. reflects anger at Mr. Trump’s flailing trade war as well as fears about being detained at the U.S. border, after numerous reports of tourists being arrested.The spreading travel boycott is expected to tear a hole in America’s massive tourism industry. Canadians spent $30-billion on travel in the U.S. in 2023, double what Americans spent here. Even a 10-per-cent drop in that spending would lead to 14,000 job losses in the travel sector, the U.S. Travel Association warned in February.Decoder is a weekly feature that unpacks an important economic chart.