When President Donald Trump said he wanted to make Canada the 51st state and then slapped 25% tariffs on Canadian imports in March, former Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau angrily shot back that Canadians would not come to Old Orchard Beach this summer.
The Mills Administration met with the hospitality industry this week to talk about the fallout of that rhetoric on tourism in York County.
Seaside Inn owner Ken Mason said even before the official start of summer his business has taken a major hit. Reservations are down nearly 20%.
"Starting in February we ended up getting so many cancellations from Canadians that we have to refund close to $7,000 in pre-booking deposits because Canadians stay 7 to 12 days," Mason said.
Mason said his Canadian guests told him they worried about their safety here. He said he tried to reassure them that they are welcome, that Maine is safe, and he advertised reduced rates, but that hasn't been enough to turn things around. In addition, Mason said tariffs on food supplies, linens and toiletries that come from overseas are also hurting his bottom line.
Just down the road from the Seaside Inn, Mathieu Beaudoin and his family and friends played on Gooch's Beach on Monday, a holiday known as Victoria Day in Canada. He said they come to Maine from Montreal every May and October. But this year, after the president's insulting notion that Canada should become the 51st state, he said they almost decided to stay home.
"We did not feel respected, so we didn't necessarily want to come to the U.S.," Beaudoin said.
But he had prepaid for their accommodations in December, so they made the decision to come anyway.
Chris Whittaker of Ocean Park Realty in Old Orchard Beach said his vacation rental business is also down. He's had a steady and strong Canadian base for decades, but he said after the 51st state remark by President Trump, things changed.
"For them it was an instinctual emotional response. We typically book 400 vacation weeks but this year we're at 360, so we've lost about 10% of our bookings," Whittaker said.
This week Governor Janet Mills met with small business owners in Kennebunk to hear their concerns about the drop in Canadian tourism and tariffs. Canadians have a decades-long history of coming to York County to vacation, and Mills wants to reassure them that they will have a warm reception.
"The hospitality industry is still vital to our economy, and I hope they do feel safe and welcomed here," Mills said.
The Governor told business owners that she plans to take her own road trip to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Quebec this summer to show Canadians how important they are to Maine. And she will meet with other New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers at a summit in Boston June 16 to discuss shared priorities.
According to the State Department of Tourism, nearly 48,000 Canadian visitors came to York County last year. And data show Canadians spent almost half a billion dollars in Maine in 2024.
"People love Maine," said Carolann Oullette, Maine Director of the Office of Tourism. "As the Governor says, our brand is strong,"
Ouellette said the state launched a targeted digital and print marketing campaign six weeks earlier than normal and will continue to roll out new advertising in key markets such as Quebec, Montreal, New Brunswick and Ontario.
"For us it's important to continue to reach out to the people we know personally in Canada and continue to be there and be very present," she said.
Ouellette said new domestic markets in Florida, Colorado and North Carolina are also being targeted because those states have direct flights to New England.
Ed Hodgdon is the grant manager for the Maine Beaches Association, an agency that markets York County.
"If we think about when COVID was here and we all had to pivot. That's what we're doing. We're pivoting," Hodgdon said.
He added that recent upticks in activity in East Ontario and Quebec have him hopeful that as the political rhetoric fades bookings will bounce back.
Canadian visitor Mathieu Beaudoin said he will see what comes with time.
"We're happy we're here now, but we haven't booked for next year. Let's say it that way," Beaudoin said.