Tour operators expect boost from 'Trump effect' and Canada 150

New Brunswick tour operators believe a rare combination of politics, economics and history will help them attract more U.S. and Canadian tourists than usual to the province this summer. 

A lot of Europeans who would normally go to the U.S. in the summertime I think are going to choose Canada this year.- Ellen Tucker, travel agent

Kathy Weir, a director at Broadleaf Guest Ranch in Albert County and president of the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick, said the political climate in the United States and the Canada 150 celebrations should mean more visitors.

"I think if I was a resident of the United States, I would see a neighbour waving a flag and saying, 'Hey, come see us and come visit us,'" she told Information Morning Moncton. "So I think the timing is great for Canada and great for New Brunswick.

"We've been telling them, 'You just come up to Maine and turn right and we're right here.'"

Meanwhile, Weir said, Canadians who had been considering a vacation in the United States may have second thoughts because of the travel ban U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to implement.

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​"It may encourage Canadians to wait until the dust settles outside of our county and use this [Canada 150] celebration to get to know their own county ... and get to know their own province, " she said.

Ellen Tucker, a Saint John travel agent, who arranges vacations for visitors to Atlantic Canada, agreed.

"I think a lot of people are worried about confusion at the border and delays," Tucker said. "A lot of people have decided they're going to forgo the U.S. trip this year."

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Debbie Norton, a fishing and hunting outfitter in Miramichi, said her reservations for this summer are already up 40 per cent compared with last year.

"One of the most important reasons we're going to have a good summer is because of the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the Canadian one — it's sure a big selling point," Norton said.

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She said more than half of her clients at Upper Oxbow Adventures are Americans, and on her website she advertises that Miramichi is just a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Bangor.

Norton said her marketing has focused on tourists from south of the border and it is paying off.

Canada 150 celebrations

Norton also expects the Canada 150 celebrations will encourage Canadians to spend their summer vacations at home.

"As far as Canada 150, that's going to be hopefully a big draw," she said.

Tucker agrees Canadians will stay home, but she said others are also choosing Canada.

"A lot of Europeans who would normally go to the U.S. in the summertime I think are going to choose Canada this year because we're getting a lot of bookings," Tucker said.

"People around the world are scared of Trump and what he's going to do next."

Weir agreed the Trump presidency could lead many tourists from around the world to rethink plans to visit the United States.

She said Canada is in the perfect position to attract those visitors because of all the events planned and money going into promoting Canada 150 celebrations.

"From Canada the message they're getting is 'we're safe and we want you to come,'" Weir said. "It's an opportunity and our operators and entrepreneurs are very optimistic."

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Weir also pointed to the recent New Brunswick budget, which included an $8 million boost in funding for tourism marketing.