We’ve known for over a year that the lack of Canadian and B.C. visitors to regions like Bellingham has seen a huge impact, but a new report from the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Border Policy Research Institute has dug into it a little deeper.
A survey from both agencies looked at the business impacts of declining Canadian visitors, and looked at which sectors were affected most.
The drop in traffic to the States was sparked by geopolitical tensions between Canada and the United States, including sentiments shared by Donald Trump on making Canada the 51st State.
Food and beverage came out on top, as 91 per cent of respondents said that the decline in the industry has been damaging. An additional 64 per cent say they’re concerned about survival.
Retail is the second-most impacted, with 85 per cent saying the decline in visitors is damaging, and 60 per cent concerned about survival.
Across all sectors and results, an overwhelming majority agreed that Canadian visitors benefit their business. 63 per cent strongly agreed that Canadian visitors benefit their business, and 57 per cent strongly agreed that the drop in visitors was damaging.
The survey revealed that 37 per cent of businesses have made changes to their operations in response to declining visits, but another 37 per cent have not.
One of the more sobering parts of the survey is that 73 per cent of businesses believe that the changes are long-term or permanent.
Newer businesses are more concerned about the impact, as 67 per cent of respondents who have been open for under 10 years are worried about survival, compared to 44 per cent who have been open for over 10 years.
“There are many things negatively affecting my business (supply chain, changing local requirements, local economic hardships). The Canadian tourism decrease has been one of the most quantifiable and impactful issues for my business, but also the hardest to not be
angry about,” one business said.
Another business said, “We really depend on our neighbors to the North for our survival!”
Survey results were captured between March 2026 and May 2026.
We’ve previously asked our B.C. readers if they’ve stopped visiting the States and places like Bellingham, and the last time we did, a majority revealed that their U.S. travel boycott was still intact.
Is that still where you’re at? Let us know in the comments. You can also share your story by emailing vancouver@dailyhive.com.