California Governor Gavin Newsom Wants To Woo Back Canadian Travelers

California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a new campaign to woo back Canadian tourists. He wants to tell them to not let “you-know-who” in Washington, DC disrupt their plans to vacation in the Golden State. Of course, the “you-know-who” Newsom is referring to is President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, as Canadian visitation to California declines, the governor is doing his best to distance the state from Trump.

Governor Gavin Newsom wants to woo back Canadian travelers

In a recently released marketing video posted on X/formerly Twitter, Newsom reminds Canadians that they have always had so much in common and reminds them who is trying to stir up trouble in Washington, DC. He goes on to tell them, “Don’t let that ruin your beach plans,” adding that the state is the ultimate playground and, revealing a map, he points out that California is 2,000 miles away from Washington, DC, and “a world away in mindset.” Newsom adds:

From our iconic beaches and national parks to world-class wine, food and outdoor adventure, there is something here for everyone.

Last year, nearly 2 million Canadians visited California, because here in California, we’ve got plenty of sunshine and a whole lot of love for our neighbors up north.

The Golden State and Canada have always shared so much in common.

Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in DC, but don't let that ruin your vacation plans.

We're launching a new international campaign to welcome and encourage Canadians to visit the Golden State. pic.twitter.com/ko24o5WkWp

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) April 15, 2025

Alienating Canadian travelers

Since Trump came to office in January, his policies and rhetoric have increasingly alienated Canadian travelers. What made it worse is that the president repeatedly refers to Canada as “the 51st state,” while rolling out tariffs that would negatively impact the Canadian economy, despite the country being a historic ally. Readers will recall that Trump invited the country to become that 51st state. He also wanted to take Greenland from Denmark and the Panama Canal, neither of which is likely to happen.

Due to this, Canadians have been canceling their US vacation plans and opting to travel elsewhere. However, Canadians are not alone, as potential visitors from many other countries have been put off visiting, due to the Trump Administration’s policies and border detentions.

As this happened, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encouraged Canadian citizens to enjoy a staycation instead, adding:

Now is the time to choose Canada… It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations our great country has to offer.

40 percent decrease in Canadian leisure bookings to the US

Meanwhile, it has been reported by The Washington Post that the travel agency, Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, had recorded a 40 percent decrease in leisure bookings to the US in February, as compared to one year ago.

Moreover, the company’s leisure brand has suffered a 20 percent cancellation rate for trips to the US and many of those canceled trips were rebooked elsewhere, including sunny destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean.

All of this comes as a major loss to the US, as Canada is one of the top sources of international visitors to the country. Back in 2024 alone, 20.4 million visits brought in $20.5 billion in spending for the US and these tourists went on to support some 140,000 American jobs.

Meanwhile, according to the US Travel Association, just a 10 percent reduction in Canadian visitors could lead to two million fewer visitors, $2.1 billion in lost tourist spending and around 14,000 job losses.

California is feeling the downturn

It didn’t take long for California to start experiencing a downturn in Canadian visitors. In 2024, the Golden State attracted almost two million Canadian tourists. Before that, in 2023, around 1.8 million visited the US, providing a $3.72 billion injection for the state’s economy.

Meanwhile, the latest figures show that February saw a 12 percent year-over-year decline in Canadian tourists to California, which is the first drop in Canadian tourists visiting California, since the state’s tourism economy started to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a report from Travel and Tour World, tourism leaders in California blame the decline on the impact of federal policies introduced by President Trump. Now, Governor Newsom hopes to stem the negative tide and welcome back Canadian travelers to avoid a serious blow to the state’s economy.

Now, the recently released marketing video, aimed at Canadian tourists, is a major element of Newsom’s and the state’s efforts to welcome back their friends from up north.