""Our friends at home said, 'No, don't go!'" said Lois Chapman, a longtime annual visitor from Ontario who came to Palm Springs this month for a shortened stay with her husband after initially planning to cancel their trip altogether. Chapman said that her flight from Toronto in early February was mostly empty and that there was a palpable decline in Canadian tourists in the desert town."
""Canada, I think, is just feeling hurt. It's the climate these days," said Chapman, a septuagenarian who was volunteering for Modernism Week, a Palm Springs festival celebrating midcentury architecture and interior design. Canadians - who pump millions of dollars into the economies of Palm Springs and other Coachella Valley cities - often book long stays up to a year in advance, providing a measure of stability for hoteliers and Airbnb owners."
Palm Springs normally attracts Canadian snowbirds during high season for desert condos, golf courses and poolside relaxation. This winter saw a notable decline in Canadian visitors as many stayed home in response to disdain for President Trump and perceived aggression toward Canada. Longtime visitors shortened or canceled stays and flights from Toronto were unusually empty, reducing the flow of tourism dollars. The loss of long-term bookings shifted reservations toward shorter, last-minute domestic stays, increasing uncertainty for hoteliers, vacation rental managers and local businesses that rely on predictable, extended Canadian bookings.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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