PORT ANGELES — The Canada-to-Clallam County tourism pipeline appears to be suffering in the wake of tariffs and calls for the northern country to become America’s 51st state.
Since January, ferry trips between Victoria and Port Angeles have decreased, local events have seen fewer Canadian participants and demand for hotels across the Peninsula has dropped.
There are multiple factors that could be involved in the local tourism slump: a longer seasonal closure of Black Ball Ferry, an unfavorable exchange rate for Canadians, concerns about being detained at the border and President Donald Trump’s fluctuating statements and policies regarding Canada.
Local impacts
Ferry travel from Victoria to Port Angeles, the primary way Canadians come to the Olympic Peninsula, has dropped this year, Black Ball Ferry CEO Rian Anderson said.
Since service restarted in February, foot travel is down 13 percent and vehicle traffic is down 15 percent from last year, Anderson said.
Those numbers cover both trips to Victoria and to Port Angeles. However, Anderson said travel appears to be less for Canadians than it is for Americans.
That has affected the ferry’s schedule. During the winter, the Coho ferry typically has two round trips per day. During the spring and fall shoulder seasons, it bumps up to three trips and, during the summer, it has four trips.
Because of the past several years of high demand, Anderson said the ferry had started its summer schedule around mid-June.
This year, in response to the decreased numbers, Black Ball Ferry is moving back to starting its traditional summer schedule on June 27.
The Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau (OPVB) has seen a drop of about 45 percent in website traffic, searches and requests for information from Canada year to date, said Marsha Massey, the organization’s executive director.
Local events are beginning to feel the squeeze.
Ride the Hurricane, a cycling race that occurs on the first Sunday in August, traditionally has 150 to 200 Canadians every year. Registration is still open but, so far, only 30 to 50 Canadians have registered.
“We’re hearing from Canadians saying, ‘We’d really love to come because we’ve never missed it, but we have to miss it this year out of principle,’” said Marc Abshire, executive director of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The North Olympic Discovery Marathon, set for June 7-8, traditionally has between 90 and 100 Canadians registered. Numbers were trending up this year, with 103 Canadians registered.
However, when Canadians began boycotting America, Race Director Victoria Jones said many asked to cancel their registration. Instead, Jones offered them no-cost deferrals until next year. Eighteen Canadians chose that option, she said.
“None of that bodes well for our future 2025 visitations from Canada,” Massey said.
And, as Canadian tourism decreases, so could the well being of businesses that depend on it.
Some businesses appear to be insulated from the impact, however. In Port Angeles’ downtown district, most of the shops haven’t noticed a dip in tourism, said Sam Grello, the executive director of the Port Angeles Waterfront District.
Odyssey Bookstore hired another employee, the waterfront district is working with Victoria to host events, and whale watching sold out on its opening weekend, he said.
“We’re still getting going for a regular summer season right now,” Grello said. “Right now, we’re apprehensively hopeful.”
Despite the optimism, WA Tourism public relations manager Jordan Van Beek said hotels have seen a 6.1 percent decrease in demand this year. That likely will spread beyond just the hotels and trickle down to affect the governments of the North Olympic Peninsula, as well, he said.
Cities and counties typically collect 2 percent to 4 percent tax on any short-term lodging transactions that occur in their jurisdictions. Prior to this year, lodging tax collections within the county were trending upward. Lodging that occurred between November 2024 and January 2025 collected almost 19 percent more when compared to the same period in 2023 and 2024.
However, there are doubts that those numbers will continue trending upward. Although Port Angeles Finance Director Sarina Carrizosa noted this may be a one-time trend, the city’s February lodging tax collection was about 29 percent less than it had been in 2024.
“The next two to three months’ lodging tax will be more telling of what the potential impact of the tariff [and] trade dispute on tourism will be with Canada,” Clallam County Chief Financial Officer Mark Lane said.
In preparation for potential impacts, the county has backed off on its previous assumptions that revenue would grow 2 percent to 3 percent and is instead assuming no growth in 2025.
Wider trend
Total passenger vehicle land travel from Canada into Washington state has steadily been decreasing. From February to April, 912,000 passenger vehicles went through the 12 border crossings in the state, down from 1.25 million in 2024 and 1.1 million in 2023.
Across the state, hotel demand year-to-date through March is down 1.3 percent. And, in response to decreased tourism travel, the Victoria to Seattle ferry Clipper Navigation is cutting its sailings in half and laying off 20 staff members.
That trend isn’t unique to Washington. Throughout the United States, tourism is projected to decline 5.5 percent this year, down from the 9 percent growth that had been previously forecasted.
And, as foreign tourists continually boycott the United States in favor of other destinations, the New York Times reported that the country is on track to lose $12.5 billion this year compared to previous years.
However, the opposite trend appears to exist as well: almost 5 percent fewer Americans have traveled to Canada since Trump took office. And if Americans choose to travel domestically instead, U.S. tourist dollars spent within the country could help offset economic losses, Lane said.
“What remains to be seen is whether or not some of this potential capacity may be filled with domestic visitors, both regionally and nationally,” Massey said. “As we move into our busy season, there may be other domestic travelers who will find opportunity and capacity not usually available.”
Rolling out the welcome mat
In an effort to counter some of the narratives from the federal government, local leaders have been emphasizing a reciprocal relationship between the United States and Canada.
When the Black Ball Ferry reopened in February, Port Angeles residents were there with a larger-than-normal welcome party and signs proclaiming their love for their northern neighbors.
“That continues to have positive reverberations in our community and for Port Angeles,” Grello said, noting that many Canadians have continually expressed their appreciation for that event.
To continue emphasizing positive relationships, Grello said leaders are considering doing intramural sports between the cities and some other events.
“We genuinely do miss the people,” Grello said. “We’re not trying to get extra sales or convince people to avoid the boycott.”
Jones said she is also offering Canadians access to any North Olympic Discovery Marathon event this year in appreciation for their participation in local events.
“The welcome mat is always out, and we’ll leave the light on for when they feel ready to return,” Massey said. “Our connections run deep, and our friendship is not variable.”
The rest of the state has been taking similar measures, with Washington lawmakers emphasizing a simple message in their dealings with the country: “We love Canada.”
But for many Canadians, it’s not Americans they have a gripe with — it’s the president.
“We love Americans,” said Bruce Williams, the CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. “This is nothing personal against any of our friends in Washington state, or Anacortes or Sequim. This is a personal and direct reaction to President Trump.”
Many Canadians feel personally affronted by actions taken by Trump, Williams said, and they are boycotting America until Trump ceases tariffs and talks of a 51st state, or until he steps out of office.
“Until that drops one way or another, this is going to be the story,” he said.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
