Is this the moment of a spring vacation in Mexico or Canada?
The idea may seem doubtful since the Trump administration confuses its neighbors by altering and off the tariffs and throwing innumerable jobs to doubts. However, for travelers, industry veterans say, this balance experience will not make an immediate difference in the cost of flights or accommodations in Mexico or Canada.
Because the tariffs are based on the borders of crossing goods, not on people, do not directly affect airlines and hotels. But the tariff battle can also bring indirect effects that could increase costs, anxieties or both of travelers.
In the three countries, restaurants can soon pay more for ingredients and go through expenses. In the Canadian province of Ontario, Prime Minister Doug Ford ordered the liquor shops administered by the Government to remove the American alcohol products from their shelves.
In the destination of the marketing organization, Vancouver, the communications director, Suzanne Walters, said that some US groups “are contributing their short -term events” in Vancouver, not for tariffs but “for loss of jobs or cuts in government financing.”
When it comes to leisure travelers, “it's a business as always,” he said. “Our approach remains open and cozy for all our visitors and that certainly includes our American friends.”
People expect in Tom Bradley International Terminal in Lax. Last month, as the tariff conflict was heating, Air Canada announced that it would reduce the service to multiple US cities.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
But the relationship is increasingly complicated. A “Trump Traiff Tracker” web survey of March 5 made by the Canadian Voting firm Leger discovered that while 60% of the Americans surveyed said they considered Canada an ally, only 31% of Canadians said the same of the United States, and 30% said they now see the United States as an enemy.
Meanwhile, in the south of Baja California, “we have not seen any effect on the reservations,” said Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. In fact, said Esponda, the number of flights from California to Los Cabos will rise with the addition of non -scales from Oakland on March 20 and Ontario in June.
“Nobody,” said Esponda, “is connecting the current [tariff] Conversations with the hospitality element at the destination. “
March is the busiest month of the year, said Esponda, attracting more than 300,000 visitors. As annual tourism to Los Cabos has grown from 2.7 million in 2019 to 3.7 million in 2024, average hotel rates have increased to $ 450 per night.
The tariff hostilities, over low heat for weeks, intensified on Tuesday, when the Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, claiming that these countries are soft with drug traffickers, although statistics show that Canada's role in the smuggling of US drugs is minimal.
Canada then said that it would prevent 25% tariffs on many American products during the next three weeks. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who warned that no one would win under Trump's proposal, said Mexico would retaliate and described Trump's statements of Mexican corruption of drug trade “offensive, defamatory and without support.”
Then, Trump moved to exclude cars from the measures. And then, on Thursday, two days after the new rates, Trump reversed the course and said he would delay tariffs on many Canadian and Mexican goods until April 2. (Trump has also promoted tariffs on China by 10%, with reprisals for China expected in the coming days).
Leaving aside the air rates and hotels, posture and rhetoric rates have already turned off some possible travelers, especially in Canada.
Another Leger survey found that 16% of Canadian respondents had canceled trips to the US. UU., While 1% of American respondents had canceled trips to Canada.
If higher rates are imposed and last several weeks or more, the veterans of the travel industry say they would expect a drop in cross -border business trips, a key source of income for airlines and hotels. With fewer business travelers, airlines can reduce the amount of flights, charge leisure travelers or charge less and expect to stimulate demand.
“If you see that type of fall, you will see smaller and less frequency airplanes and higher costs,” said John Discala, editor of the Johnnyjet.com Bulletin and a frequent visitor in Canada. Discala said that last month, as the tariff conflict was heating, Air Canada announced that it would reduce the service to several US cities.
A boat is framed by the arch of Cabo San Lucas, a formation of granitic rocks at the southern end of Cabo San Lucas.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
In the long term, the highest tariffs would increase the cost of building, buying and leasing airplanes, putting stress on airlines to increase prices.
Even if the current confrontation cools, the bad blood could take, they have said several observers of the industry, and not only in Canada. An Snap survey, held the day after President Trump's speech before Congress, found that 72% of veteran travelers expect Americans abroad “to be less welcome and perceive more negatively” as a result of Trump's global commercial policies.
The survey, conducted by Global Rescue, a provider of medical care services, safety and risk management of travelers, consulted more than 1,100 travelers after President Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday.
“The data is clear: travelers expect a change in the way they are received abroad,” said Dan Richards, CEO of global rescue companies, in a prepared statement. “This does not mean that Americans should cancel their travel plans, but they must be aware of their environment, practice cultural sensitivity and take proactive measures to mitigate potential risks.”
On March 3, Openjaw.com reported that FlightCentre Travel Group Canada had seen a 40% drop in Canadians who reserve leisure trips to the United States
Even so, when it comes to the attitude of Canadian hosts towards US visitors, Discala said he did not expect many fireworks. “Will Americans be welcome? All my Canadian readers said they will be, unless they wear a magic hat or a '51 ° state 'shirt, “he said.” They don't think it's fun at all. And I don't blame them. “
Meanwhile, in Mexico, there is another tariff situation for travelers to take into account. In December 2024, the Senate of Mexico approved a tax of $ 42 per head on passengers of incoming foreign cruises, to enter into force on July 1.
The movement took protests from the cruise lines, but is far from being unique. Foreign tourists who arrived in Mexico were already being evaluated a comparable tax. In addition, in the last two years, destinations in New Zealand, Greece and Iceland have imposed or promoted taxes to visit cruise passengers.
