Wakeda Campground had never run a marketing campaign in Canada before, but this year, the political climate called for it.
Set on winning back Canadian customers to her 400-site campground in Exeter, Amanda Allen emailed them with an offer for discounted rates if they reserved early in the season.
These campers were turned off from visiting the U.S. last summer because of tensions between the two neighboring countries. Some of them came back. Most didn’t.
Allen said things improved slightly this summer, but Wakeda “definitely did not hit the numbers we had seen previously.” She hasn’t run the numbers yet; the campground closes for the season on Oct. 1.
“We’re still hearing from the people that are not coming that that is the reason that they cite for not coming,” Allen said. She hasn’t heard much about the political climate from the Canadian campers who did choose to visit this year, however. “The ones that have come are just, I think, happy to get away, escape a little bit of real life for a little while.”
Wakeda’s experience is symbolic of a greater trend in New Hampshire, where tourism from Canada recovered slightly from 2025 but has yet to return to past peaks. Many Canadians boycotted the U.S. in response to President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and foreign policy toward Canada.
August saw 297,000 arrivals from Canada through entry ports in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That’s a 6% increase over last August, but still down 23% from the same month in 2024.
Things turned around in April, with 186,000 arrivals — a 13.4% increase from the year prior. Arrivals in New England peaked in July at 298,000.
Regional numbers echoed national trends, where overall border crossings from Canada to the U.S. were up just slightly — about 4.1% — from 2025 in the first seven months of this year.
In New Hampshire, where tourism is the second-largest industry, a decrease in visitors can have economic consequences.
For example, Canadians typically make up a quarter of Wakeda’s customer base in the peak months of July and August, Allen said, but she estimated that population dropped by about 90% last year.
In the White Mountains, home to some of New Hampshire’s most popular tourist spots, this summer brought a mixed bag. Some businesses reported a stronger season while others held flat or noticed slight declines, said Charyl Reardon, president of the White Mountains Attractions Association. Overall, the region saw a 2.7% increase in visitation.
Based on anecdotes from local attractions, Reardon said, Canadian tourism in the mountains rebounded slightly but hasn’t closed in on pre-pandemic levels.
To be sure, Canada isn’t New Hampshire’s only source of tourists, and politics aren’t the only factor in deciding where to vacation. Uncertain weather and economic forecasts can also play a big role.
Gas prices have soared and remain high as a result of the war with Iran.
“That might also be due to the economy, as far as people’s discretionary income, that ‘Oh, well, do we really want to spend the money to go up for a chance of showers when maybe next weekend will be beautiful?’” Reardon said. “I think it’s a little bit of a mix of everything that’s kind of playing into visitation patterns right now and visitor spending.”
Reardon worried that with a U.S.-Canada trade deal on the skids, reinflamed political tensions might impact fall tourism, but she’s optimistic that experts are forecasting a long, vibrant foliage season. In the past week, motorcoach tours are beginning to bring swaths of people to the White Mountains, she said.
State officials predict a strong showing of leaf-peepers and pointed to a recent rebound in U.S.-Canada border crossings as a “positive indicator,” according to a press release from the state’s Division of Travel and Tourism Development.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte and other political leaders in the state have focused on strengthening the Granite State’s relationship with its neighbors to the north.
New Hampshire anticipates 3.9 million total visitors this fall and spending to reach $2 billion, a slight increase from 2025. Those projections are calculated based on a multitude of current travel trends, economic forecasts and historical data.
“Every visitor who stops at a local diner, stays in an inn or buys from a downtown retailer directly fuels our small businesses and supports jobs across all seven regions,” said Lucy Lange, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, which oversees tourism. “Tourism isn’t just a seasonal highlight; it’s an essential engine for our year-round economy.”
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