A beautiful mountain town, once a popular tourism destination, is feeling the effects of a full scale international row thanks to US President Donald Trump. The pretty little town, which is surrounded by lakes, mountains and countryside, relies heavily on tourism to support local jobs, small businesses and maintain the spirit of the town.
“Tourism touches nearly every part of life here” Zak Anderson, executive director of Explore Whitefish told his local paper.
“It’s what keeps our restaurants full, our lodges busy and our small businesses thriving.When they stay away, the impact is significant.”
Since Trump ramped up his attacks on Canada by pushing for the country to join the US and implementing new duties on steel and aluminum, Canadian tourism to Whitefish in Montana, just a mile from the border between the two countries, is down by 25 percent.
“Canadian travelers have always been some of our most consistent visitors. When they stay away, the impact is significant” Anderson said.
He now blames the downturn in tourism on Trump’s tariff threats and shifting border policies, explaining: “It’s not that Canadians don’t want to come to Montana, it’s that they’re concerned about what to expect, and whether they’ll feel welcome.”
Tourists fear being caught in the web of US immigration enforcement amid Trump’s rampant deportation efforts that forced the Canadian government to revise its advisory for citizens visiting the United States.
It said travelers must ‘comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities’ and warned that visitors ‘could be detained while awaiting transportation.’
And as Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney continue to trade insults, Anderson said Whitefish is suffering.
Businesses that make staffing and supply decisions months before the usually busy summer travel months are now fighting hard to survive, he said.
“Many small businesses, like restaurants run on tight profit margins,’ Anderson explained. ‘So when prices on nearly everything increase, it makes it harder to stay profitable, regardless of what’s happening with visitation.”
“Communities in Montana are resilient, but when the rules keep changing, it becomes harder to plan, invest or build for the future,’ Anderson said.
In order to try to draw some Canadian tourism back, Glacier Country CEO Racene Friede spearheaded a campaign emphasizing the longstanding relationship between Montana and Canada, according to Travel and Tour World, reported in the Daily Mail.
It seeks to position Canadians not just as tourists but as neighbours and friends.
“We continue to let Canadians know that we welcome them back as soon as they are ready to come,” Discover Kalispell Executive Director Diane Medler said.
But, she said, some tourism bureaus in the state are halting advertising in Canada temporarily amid the fall in international travel and Canadians’ overall negative sentiment about the US.
“We need signals from both governments that cross-border friendships and our economic partners matter, and without that no amount of marketing is going to help that right now” Medler said.