"David Rye has been hearing a lot less French on the mountain bike trails this summer. Rye is the outdoor center director at the von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort (yes, of 'The Sound of Music' fame). Stowe, Vermont - along with other northern reaches of the state - is a popular locale for Canadian visitors, since it's easily drivable from the border."
"Vermont to Canada border crossings were down nearly 39% in July from the year prior, per data compiled by the state. According to Statistics Canada, Canadian spending in the US plunged 7.9% in the first quarter of 2025 from the same time in the year prior. (Ironically, in the same period, Americans made more trips to Canada than the year prior, and spent 27.3% more.)"
"I witnessed it firsthand while in Vermont for Labor Day. The whole area felt emptier. In past years, we waited in line for hours at certain restaurants, but this year they seated us right away. And, while we were out to dinner, overheard conversations were dominated by the flat vowels of New Englanders and New Yorkers - there wasn't a Quebecois to be found."
Canadian visitation to Vermont and other northern U.S. destinations fell sharply this summer, producing emptier tourist sites and reduced foot traffic in businesses. Resort and retail workers reported noticeably fewer Quebec license plates and less French heard on trails and in stores. Vermont recorded a nearly 39% drop in border crossings in July year-over-year, and Statistics Canada reported a 7.9% decline in Canadian spending in the U.S. in Q1 2025. Americans, by contrast, made more trips to Canada and increased spending by 27.3%. Political rhetoric and trade tensions from the U.S. appear to have contributed to the downturn in cross-border travel.
Read at Business Insider
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