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BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s no secret Buffalo has long been a favorite destination for our neighbors to the north, but experts say that with the recent tariffs, there’s been a decline in visitors crossing the border.
Visit Buffalo Niagara president and CEO Patrick Kaler said cross-border traffic is down to start 2025.
Travel from January to February dropped more than 14 percent, and compared to this time last year, February numbers are down more than 13 percent.
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Kaler said the combination of the pandemic’s lasting impact, an unfavorable exchange rate, and tariffs are keeping more Canadians from crossing the border.
“As the situation continues to be very fluid, we’re still hearing people are not going to be coming to Buffalo,” Kaler told 2 On Your Side. “We do hear anecdotally that from our hotels, the attractions, that they are seeing a dip in their Canadian visitation, although at the Sabres game a few weeks ago, it was packed with Canadians.
“So there are some of those folks who will make the trip across. Of course, some people said, ‘Look, we already had our tickets, our hotel reservations, we couldn’t cancel so we came anyway.’ So it’s just something that we’re watching.”
Kaler also said tourism leaders are working on new incentives, to encourage Canadians to return, especially as we head into the summer months. That includes special discounts and value-driven packages.
He added that tourism leaders are also shifting marketing dollars to other cities like Boston, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, where visitors tend to stay longer and spend more.
