CAVENDISH, P.E.I. – Cross-border travel between Canada and the United States increased in both directions in June, even as political and trade tensions continue to shape some vacation plans. New data from Statistics Canada shows Canadians returned from 2.3 million trips to the United States, up five per cent from a year earlier. That extended a three-month turnaround after 15 consecutive months of declines. U.S. residents, meanwhile, made three million trips to Canada, a 6.1 per cent year-over-year gain, stretching a five-month growth streak. At the Cavendish Boardwalk in P.E.I., the Battaglia family from Boston browsed Anne of Green Gables magnets, mugs and other souvenirs while spending part of their summer – and tourism dollars – on the Island. “The political climate, we don’t necessarily agree with, what’s happening between the States and Canada, so we’d like to support our friends up in Canada,” Rich Battaglia said. His wife, Deb Battaglia, praised the reception the family received. “We love the friendly people,” she said. “It’s just lovely here.” Licence plates at the popular tourist destination included some from as far away as Tennessee. Chelsie Holloway, who was visiting from New York State with her mother, said she hoped the goodwill would flow in both directions. “We’re supporters of both Canada and America, and hope everything can just work out for the best for everybody,” Holloway said. Road travel accounted for much of the change. Canadian return trips by automobile were up 7.6 per cent from a year ago, while U.S. automobile arrivals rose 8.1 per cent. Air travel fell slightly on each side of the border. “There’s a bit of a thawing, I would say. We’re more open to it,” said Matt Foulk, who was visiting P.E.I. from Toronto. “I think (it’s) just a feeling that we’re missing out on all these great attractions and activities in the U.S.” His 10-year-old daughter, Olive, already had a destination in mind. “I want to go sometimes to New York, to visit things we can’t see where we’re from,” she said. Chris Hopper, who was visiting from New Brunswick, said New Orleans also appealed to him. “Go fishing and get some crawfish, and stuff like that,” Hopper said. His partner mentioned taking their daughters to Disney World in Florida. Others remained firmly opposed to travelling south. “I wouldn’t do it in a million years,” said Kim Bell, who was visiting from Niagara Falls. “It’s not a welcoming environment.” Caroline Humphrey, visiting from Calgary, expressed a similar view. “There’s no real reason to go south at the moment,” she said. Even as the numbers climb, longer-term data still show a sizeable gap. Canadian return trips from the United States remained 24.6 per cent below their June 2024 level, before tensions between the two countries escalated. Some Canadian visitors said they had deliberately chosen to vacation closer to home. “We’ve done a lot of travelling to the U.S., my family, and we love it there,” said Krystle Hanson, who was visiting from New Brunswick. “But we’re really enjoying just staying in our backyard.” “We just decided to stay local and support the businesses here,” said Jacalynn Kennedy, who was visiting from Nova Scotia.
