As Manitoba’s tourism industry braces for the unknown effects of U.S. tariffs, some think an exchange rate favourable for U.S. travellers may convince them to come north.
“I think you just have to look at Lake Winnipeg right now, and the number of Americans that are streaming across the border to fish,” said Don Lamont, a hunting and fishing outfitter and the executive director of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association.
Lamont spoke to CBC earlier this week, before U.S. President Donald Trump’s official announcement Saturday of the expected 25 per cent tariff on virtually all goods coming from Canada.
But Lamont said he doesn’t think a tariff will have much, if any, effect on Americans wanting to come to Manitoba — while a Canadian dollar sitting around 70 cents US will.
“The trade is all in Canada’s favour as far as angler exchange is concerned.”
Traditionally, there aren’t a lot of Canadians travelling to the U.S. to fish, said Lamont, but the ice fishing industry in Manitoba sees approximately 20,000 to 30,000 Americans crossing the border each year.
However, the number of American travellers coming to Canada could be affected by the country’s response to the tariffs, said Fletcher Baragar, an economics professor at the University of Manitoba.
“Canada needs to be very careful about what it’s doing in terms of a response. I certainly understand the desire to sort of show that we’re not going to take this lightly. We’re going to react in some ways, but a retaliatory response is going to hurt Canadians further in general,” Baragar said in a Tuesday interview with CBC.
“Part of that might be that you don’t want to send negative messages to Americans who might be considering coming to Canada to visit, or to visit friends or family, or see part of the country.”
Manitoba has been making preparations for the 25 per cent tariff, which Trump threatened shortly after his election in November. That includes the creation of a 16-person U.S. Trade Council with representation from a range of industries and sectors.
Tourism Winnipeg said it’s keeping a close eye on the political landscape in the U.S. and is working with an external agency to get a better understanding of the perceptions American travellers have about Winnipeg.
Tourism Winnipeg vice-president Natalie Thiesen said the organization is “doubling down” on how best to move forward on drawing more travellers from North Dakota and Minnesota, and is working on launching a multi-year tourism strategy.
During Trump’s first term in office, Tourism Winnipeg saw more Americans crossing the border to explore the province, and now the relative strength of the U.S. dollar is a considerable advantage, she said.
It’s “early days,” in terms of the current political situation, she said.
But “I think [for] Americans, no matter what their political stripes are … travel is an escape,” she said.
“Americans are keen to continue to travel. And I think Canada, given its proximity, given it’s a safe choice, given it’s [a] value choice, I think we’re well positioned, and we’re well positioned in Winnipeg to welcome them.”
At a Jan. 15 news conference, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew also gave an “open invitation” for U.S. travellers to explore what Manitoba has to offer.
But he also encouraged Manitobans to show their Canadian pride by buying local products and investing in the province’s economy.
“I hope that your Canadian pride also filters into your decisions about where to take your vacations this summer and to, you know, spend some more dollars here at home,” he said during a meeting with Canada’s other premiers in Ottawa.
Baragar said some Canadians who might normally travel south, especially during the winter months, may feel less enthusiastic about spending their time and money in the U.S. because of both the poor exchange rate and anger around the tariffs.
“If they have a choice, they’re going to say, ‘Well, you know, I think maybe this year I’ll save my money and … travel in Canada during the summer,’ or maybe this is the time to go to Europe or something like that,” he said.