Despite the current political climate and ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States, it seems people in Halifax will continue to be “as welcoming” as before when it comes to American tourists.
That’s according to an online poll conducted in partnership with Narrative Research and Discover Halifax, a non-profit that promotes the local tourism industry.
The study, which polled 400 residents aged 18 and older, asked how welcoming people were to tourists and specifically American visitors. The study also asked what the main reasons were for being welcoming or unwelcoming to American tourists.
According to the findings, 66 per cent of respondents said they would be as welcoming to American tourists for the remainder of 2025; nine per cent said they would be more welcoming, and 25 per cent said they would be less welcoming.
When asked what drove their feelings about U.S. visitors, 24 per cent said they didn’t blame the citizens for the actions of their government or leadership. Those who expressed unwelcoming sentiments were driven by a “worry of encountering American visitors who may be (President Donald) Trump supporters,” according to Narrative Research.
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However, when it came to the perceived benefits of tourism, 78 per cent said they believed the benefits of tourists outweighed the downsides.
“Tourism has long been a positive force in Halifax, and our warm welcome of visitors is something we take great pride in,” said Ross Jefferson, president and CEO of Discover Halifax, in a release.
“The strong relationship between Canada and the United States has deep roots here, and American visitors play a key role in the tourism economy of our region, supporting local businesses and communities.”
In contrast, another recent survey by Narrative Research found that 62 per cent of Maritimers said they expect to travel to the U.S. less because of Trump.
Margaret Chapman, COO and partner with Narrative Research, told Global News in February that respondents in that survey indicated they felt strongly about Trump’s policies.
“There’s also a huge number of reasons around safety. People told us things like they were worried about personally being discriminated against in the new Trump U.S.A,” she said.
“They’re worried about border security. They’re worried about political unrest and turmoil, about rules changing all of a sudden and they might get stuck or they might have trouble.”
American visitor numbers on the rise
According to Tourism Nova Scotia — a division of the province’s Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage — visitation to the province declined slightly in 2024 compared to 2023, as the industry continues to recover post-pandemic.
In 2024, about two million non-resident visitors came to Nova Scotia.
There were declines in visitors from Atlantic Canada and Ontario, which is the province’s second-biggest market.
However, visitation from the U.S. increased in 2024 by 11 per cent. There were 172,000 American visitors to the province in 2024, which is 17,000 more than in 2023.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
