Trump Helps Fuel Surge in Mexico Tourism to Canada Rob Gillies - The Associated Press
go to original March 15, 2017

Toronto Tourism Launches Campaign in Hopes to Lure Tourists from Mexico (CityNews Toronto)

Canada has seen a surge of visitors from Mexico since December, when it lifted a visa requirement that had been imposed in 2009. The change was planned before the US election, but it is widely viewed as a reflection of warmer relations between Canada and Mexico. President Trump, meanwhile, is pushing for a wall along the US border with Mexico, has stepped up immigration enforcement, and wants to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement, the 1994 treaty that created a closer trading relationship among the three countries of North America.

Trump’s rhetoric has turned off Mexicans, at least among the more affluent who travel overseas for pleasure, business, and education.

"Right now, my mind really is not as geared toward traveling to the United States," said Gabriel Leal, a public relations professional in Mexico City. "Many friends lately have been making the decision to cancel trips to the United States and go to Whistler," the Canadian ski resort that he said "more and more is becoming a popular destination" for Mexicans.

The number of visitors to Canada from Mexico increased nearly 70 percent in December, to 30,268 from 18,095 in the same month a year earlier, when the visa requirement was still in place, according to government figures. Visits by Mexicans to Whistler are up 25 percent and are expected to be higher during the spring high season.

See the original at Boston Globe

Related: Asylum Seekers Fleeing the US Into Canada Triple (Vocativ)

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