California tries to appeal to Canadian travellers after tourism slump
California is trying to reconnect with Canadian travellers. Since President Trump came into office, relations between the USA and Canada have soured. Statements about a desire to make Canada the 51st state, coupled with tariffs and a “trade war”, have turned Canadians against the idea of spending their dollars in the sunshine state.
As a result, Visit California launched the “California Loves Canada” campaign on 6 May 2025. The campaign includes a video that stresses the ties between California and Canada. In partnership with Expedia, the campaign also offers Canadian tourists up to 25% discounts on over 1,000 hotels, attractions and activities across the state.
At IMEX Frankfurt, CMW spoke with other American CVB representatives from Boston and Miami – we learned that Canadian visitation numbers are dropping across the board. For California, Canadian tourism dropped by 12% in February 2025 compared to the previous year. This marked the first decrease since the pandemic.
Also, as part of the campaign, Governor Gavin Newsom and Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta co-hosted an industry town hall with over 1,000 attendees to introduce the campaign. Newsom tried to distance his state from Trump, saying, “California is the ultimate playground – over 2,000 miles from Washington and a world away in mindset.”
Local communities are also joining in. Palm Springs, a popular destination for Canadians, adorned its streets with banners of heart-shaped Canadian flags to demonstrate appreciation for its northern visitors.
What does it cost California? The state predicts a 4.3% drop in international visitor spending in 2025. That adds up to hundreds of millions in lost revenue.
The effect is already visible: LA saw fewer international flights in Q1 2025 San Francisco is seeing double-digit declines in Canadian visitors One estimate says a 10% drop in Canadian tourists alone could cost the US $2.1bn and 14,000 jobs.
Will California be able to attract Canadians, or are travellers in the Great White North avoiding the USA altogether?
