As the critical summer tourism season begins, officials in New York’s North County are monitoring the impacts of cross-border traffic as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports fewer Canadians entering the U.S.
President Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and has called for the northern nation to become the 51st state. That has riled Canadians, and one way they are showing their displeasure is to stop traveling to the U.S.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports monthly crossings at each international port. The Buffalo sector, which includes the Champlain border crossing north of Plattsburgh, reported a nearly 25 percent decline in land crossings in May, compared to May 2024. April statistics showed a nearly 22 percent decline over the previous year.
North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas says the region’s hospitality and retail sectors are feeling the month-by-month declines.
“We’re doing very well, very strongly in the manufacturing sector and other business sectors in the community. But retail and hospitality are suffering," Douglas said. "Unexpected sectors like the big department stores and supermarkets are off by like 20 – 25 percent. We’re hearing things for example, sectors like golf. We’re hearing severe impacts with the golf courses because so many Canadians come down with golfing parties all through the summer. They haven’t booked this year. So there’s just these impacts on sectors all over the place.”
The Malone Golf Club, roughly 15 miles south of the Canadian border, was designed by Robert Trent Jones and touts a 1991 Golf Week Magazine ranking as “Best Pure Classic Nine” in the world. Board President Stephen Vanier says there has been a huge decrease in Canadian players booking tee times this year.
“The majority of our play that comes from Canadian golfers comes in the form of what we call pay-and-play packages. That’s where we’re seeing our biggest hit," Vanier reported. "In February and March is when those start to book. And that’s around the same exact time that the tensions grew between the Trump Administration and Canada and so that’s when they made a lot of those decisions. We’re down a considerable amount of revenue as a result. And that’s probably not going to be made up. We’re down probably $400,000 in revenue, somewhere in that neighborhood.”
Vanier adds the course has no plans to close despite the losses.
“It costs about a million-and-a-half dollars just to maintain our two courses here every year and when you lose $400,000 of revenue that takes a bite out of that. So our managers have been cutting where they can while maintaining the same quality of play.”
While regional businesses face a loss of business and revenues, Clinton County Legislature Chair Mark Henry, a Republican, says leaders are bracing for possible sales and occupancy tax losses.
“As we get closer to the budget, we will be looking at these numbers closely," Henry said. "If it remains at 30 percent, if sales tax is down significantly because of this, then obviously that would have an impact on our budget. So we are concerned.”
During a visit to Plattsburgh this week, New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, said there is little the state can do to make up for the economic losses resulting from a drop in Canadian tourism.
“It’s unfortunate to have Canada who has always been a close friend and ally to the United States to be in this position. That is something that I hope this administration realizes is just not good for us. It’s not good for Canada," Heastie said. "But I don’t think there’s a lot we can do to make up for what the federal government is causing.”
The Chamber will conduct a survey to determine the impact of fewer Canadian travelers, how businesses are responding and what the Chamber and other officials should or could do to mitigate the impact of fewer visitors.
