VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — With U.S. destinations reporting double-digit drops in Canadian tourists amid political tensions, Virginia Beach is hoping to keep its largest group of international travelers from looking elsewhere.
Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney met at the White House to try and simmer down tensions between the neighboring countries related to ongoing trade disputes and "51st state" rhetoric from Trump.
At least on the U.S. side of things, the fallout has been swift in recent months, with double digit percentage drops in Canadian tourism to many American destinations in protest of U.S. politics.
It's been concerning news for Virginia Beach, which counts on those visits once peak tourist season hits later this month.
“The Canadian market is our largest sector of that international travel," said Nancy Helman, Executive Director of the city's tourism office, the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. "About $38 million came into our marketplace in 2023.”
It's money she says helps support the local tax base, including more than 38,000 tourism jobs. A significant loss would be a concern.
“If they don’t come, that’s a big chunk," said Debbie Lou Hague, owner of longtime Oceanfront restaurant Ocean Eddie's. "The uncertainty of running a business at the Oceanfront right now is very concerning.”
Hague says she typically sees Canadian visitors come in the summer and even into the fall, but tourism experts in the area say it's still too early to determine if there will be a loss.
“We are seeing a bit of a dip right now, as far as summer bookings from the Canadian market, but we do feel that’s going to come around," said John Zirkle, President of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association. “There’s a large portion of Canada that can drive here, which makes us a nice destination to come to…and inexpensive.”
That's especially for people from Ontario and Quebec. Montreal is home to the JACKALOPE action sports festival, which is returning to Virginia Beach for the third straight year later this month.
The Resort City is the first location outside Canada to host the festival.
“It’s a bit tricky. That’s the honest answer because we’re caught in the middle," Micah Desforges, Executive Producer of JACKALOPE Virginia Beach, told News 3 over a Zoom call. "Yes, maybe on the short-term, it might be harder to get Canadians to pack their bag and come, but at some point we all hope this thing will be resolved and we’re here to build bridges.”
Desforges says he sees the festival continuing to grow in Virginia Beach, adding that its first year injected $8 million into the local economy with 8,000 hotel nights booked.
The city is also counting on that relationship to help continue welcoming Canadians. Other measures include continuing a money saving program called "Loonie Savers" — a nod to the nickname for the Canadian dollar coin.
But Helman says she's also preparing to make up for any losses.
“We’re also being proactive. We’re doing additional marketing domestically. In the United States," she told News 3.
Anything to support an industry that does have questions heading into its busiest time of year.
