Sick City. Mary in Michigan is a small city with a prosperous economy. This is because visitors to the city of its largest northern sister in Ontario, Canada, keep the border city economy.
It is located on both sides of the St. Mary River, and the US and Canadian counterparts are associated by SAULT Ste. Marie International Bridge, which thousands of vehicles pass every month.
Linda Haouth, Executive Director of the Conference and visitors Office in the Salt region, said that many people have family members on both sides of the United States and Canada borders. “There is no separation between the two societies,” she said.
But with the launch of the American trade war against Canada In recent months – along with Reports on belief Among the travelers on the Canadian border by the American immigration authorities and the threats of annexation through President TrumpThe gap has grown between the neighbors, as fewer Canadians make the trip south to the United States.
According to Salt Saint. Passenger cars management decreased in April by 44 % compared to 44 % of the Mary International Bridge administration, car traffic in April decreased by 44 % compared to last year. Although the declining bridge movement may not mean much from the point of view of the second largest province in Canada and the most popular DestinationTo the historic town of Michigan for sure.
“They have 70,000 people,” said Houth. “And if they do not come and buy in our stores, this affects us much more.”
The slowdown in traveling to the United States
Sick City. Mary is not alone in tourism concerns. Although this weekend is expected to be the highest ever, one group was noticeably absent at the US travel checkpoints in recent months: international travelers.
International travel to the United States 14 % decreased in March Compared to the same period last year, according to the American Travel Society. Perhaps not surprisingly, the biggest travel decline, 20.2 %, was from Canada, according to a research from the tourism economy, a consulting company to invest in Oxford Economic.
Earlier this year, former Prime Minister Trudeau urged Canadians to Refrain from leave In the United States, after President Trump slapped 25 % tariff On Canadian goods. The decrease in Canadian travel is a noticeable shift, given that Canada was the largest source of internal travel to the United States last year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Regarding what is behind the general slowdown in international travel to the United States, experts refer to the strict immigration policies of the Trump administration, the US dollar power and long visa waiting times. The aggressive tariff policies also left a bad taste in the mouths of many travelers.
Aran Ryan, director of industrial studies in the tourism economy, said: “It is expected that the conversion of the United States and the United States’ perceptions will continue to influence the travel request,” said Aran Ryan, Director of Industrial Studies in the Economy of Tourism.
As of April, flights to the United States for the travel window in May to July are 10.8 % less than they were in the same period last year, according to the research company. A 8.7 % decrease in international expatriates in 2025.
Economic impact
The slowdown in international travel threatens to destabilize the American tourism industry, which plays a vital role in supporting the country’s economy.
“The international travel heading to a large -scale economy – people who come to the United States and visit spending on average $ 4,000 per visit,” said a spokesman for the US Travel Association for the United States.
These dollars may already slip: The projects of the International Travel and Tourism Council, whose spending is low by international visitors to the United States will decrease to 169 billion dollars, or 7 %, this year, from $ 181 billion in 2024. This is 22.5 % of the peak tourist spending of $ 217 billion in 2019.
Few international travelers can affect the workforce that supports the American tourism industry: approximately 10 % of American jobs linked to the travel industry, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
The continuous decline in international travel to the United States can lose more than 230,000 jobs – the dining and housing industries are expected to be the most successful, according to a recent analysis from the Dertan Economic Research Company.
“The American economy will not destroy in terms of gross domestic product, but it is very important in terms of employment,” Jenny Thorfaldson, chief economist and data official at Indian, told CBS Moneywatch.
Huaeth, who runs the visitor center in Salt Saint. Mary said that she is already concerned about what these losses can mean to her community.
“When we look at the bridge and it was crowded, people must collect their employees,” she said. “But if it is not very busy, what happens to your employees? They do not earn money. Some people will be demobilized.”
Hotel reservations in the city with a population of 14,000 already have already decreased by 77 % so far, according to the SAULT Area Convert & Visters.
Transfer the focus to local travelers
While international tourism excels, local communities such as Flagstaff, Arizona, re -clarify their attention to local travelers.
Despite the wide international call to the city, the travel season began a slow start. Flagstaff witnessed a 15 % decrease to 20 % in international tourists on an annual basis, according to Trace Ward, Director of the Flagstaff Conference Office and visitors.
While he hopes the decline is only temporary, Ward is looking for ways to bring more American tourists. One of the strategies on her mind is to add more direct flights to the region and may attract a new airline. The city also promotes it Luel ObservatoryThe new astronomy detection center, which provides visitors with a glimpse into the universe.
“I look forward to excitement from the international traveler who dates back to full steam, but until then, we will sell to those who are interested in coming here,” Ward said.
Likewise, Hoath turned its focus towards attracting visitors from inside the states, and decided to stop spending on any advertisement in Canada.
“When you don’t have a lot of money, you have to put them as you know they have a better ability to work,” she said.
