Continued U.S. tariffs could hit travel harder than pandemic, warns ACTA’s Wendy Paradis

If current U.S. tariffs stay in place, the impact on the travel industry in Canada could be worse than the COVID-19 pandemic, says Wendy Paradis, president of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors (ACTA).

Paradis made her comments while participating in an “Advocacy and Impact” panel Thursday morning (June 5) with Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA, at American Marketing Group’s Travel Market conference, “Connected,” on now until June 7 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Paradis said the long-term impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy will be felt most in Ontario and Quebec, which represents the largest piece of Canada’s travel sector.

The damage will take several months to unfold, Paradis said, but “we’re really watching it,” Paradis said.

The panel's moderator, business coach Geraldine Ree, asked Paradis to elaborate.

Paradis noted how connected Canada and the United States have become over the past 50 to 60 years. The issue with tariffs is the “immediacy” of the situation as the relationship between the two countries breaks down, she said. 

The impact U.S. tariffs will have on jobs in Canada is the main concern. “For people to travel, they need to have jobs and they need to have disposable income,” Paradis said.

There is a silver lining, however, and it has to do with baby boomers. 

This demographic is the largest traveller group in Canada right now, and for the most part, many have their mortgages paid off and are empty nesters, Paradis said.

“That’s definitely a generation that is more resilient than our millennials and Gen Xers,” she said.

Travel Market returns

This year’s Travel Market event has welcomed around 1,000 attendees from United States and Canada for three days of training sessions, panel discussions, and one-on-one opportunities.

The annual conference brings together travel advisors and preferred partners affiliated with TRAVELSAVERS, NEST, The Affluent Traveller Collection and more.

This week, 108 Canadian travel advisors are on the ground in Orlando, undeterred by the recent wave of negative headlines around U.S. travel, said Jane Clementino, senior vice-president and general manager of TRAVELSAVERS Canada, which is now in its 25th year.

“Everybody showed up and wanted to learn right away,” Clementino told PAX last night.

Click here for more Canadian updates from Clementino at Travel Market 2025. 

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