“The last straw”: Travel advisor puts U.S. on “do not sell” list after Trump renames Lake Ontario

For Ontario-based travel advisor Judith Coates, U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest move involving Canada was the last straw.

Coates, owner of Wired for Travel (and a prominent advocate for Canada’s travel advisor community) says she will no longer actively sell travel to the United States after Trump signed an executive order Thursday (Aug. 27) directing U.S. federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”

“I don't usually get involved in U.S. politics, but hearing that news was the last straw for me,” Coates told PAX.

The decision prompted Coates to even decline an invitation she has received to attend WTE Miami, a travel and tourism expo taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Centre this October.

But rather than simply turning down the invitation, Coates decided to tell organizers why.

“I frequently get invitations from U.S. tourist boards to attend conventions, seminars and events,” she told PAX. “I know that they're having to try really hard to get Canadians' business.”

On Thursday (Aug. 27), however, Coates informed WTE Miami that she would neither attend nor promote the event, copying several executives from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) on her email.

“Today the President of your country signed an order changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. I don't believe he understands the fallout this will cause for Florida's incoming tourism industry and for other states traditionally visited by Canadians,” Coates wrote in the letter, which PAX has viewed.

“The majority of Canadians who travel to Florida – not to mention the Canadians who cruise out of Miami & Fort Lauderdale – live within a [300 kilometre] radius of Lake Ontario.”

Clients asking to avoid Florida ports

For Coates, who specializes in premium and luxury cruises, the political tensions are already translating into conversations about where clients spend their travel dollars.

She said she has already been receiving calls from clients “asking if they can change their cruise to one that doesn't depart from Miami or Fort Lauderdale.”

Coates is urging U.S. destination marketing organizations to make their voices heard in Washington.

“It is my hope that the GMCVB and other tourist boards will have the insight to lobby the U.S. government to stop these ridiculous tactics, which will only hurt your economy,” she wrote. 

And with Canadian travellers having plenty of alternatives, Coates said she is prepared to direct business elsewhere.

Coates added that there are other “wonderful destinations to visit in the world.”

Portugal, for one, is “quickly becoming a favourite spot for Canadians to do a long stay over the winter months, she said.

“Unfortunately, the U.S is now on my ‘do not sell’ list, at least until your President can be reined in,” she wrote.

The GMCVB is actually set to host an event in Toronto on September 10 alongside a handful of Miami-based hotel partners.

READ MORE: Will Trump's 50% tariff threat stall Canada's return to U.S. travel? Industry pros weigh in

PAX reached out to the organization on Thursday to ask whether Trump’s latest order has had any impact on attendance numbers – and to see what they thought about Canadian travel advisors taking a stand.

Trump signs “Lake America” order

Coates’ decision came hours after Trump signed an executive order Thursday formally directing the U.S. Department of the Interior to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” within the United States. 

The order instructs the department, in coordination with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, to update the Geographic Names Information System within 30 days and change federal government references to the lake. The U.S. action does not require Canada to adopt the new name. 

It wouldn't be the first time Trump has sought to rename a major body of water. Earlier in his presidency, Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” The name change has since been reflected for U.S. users on Google Maps.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Lake Ontario’s centuries-old name isn’t going anywhere, responding after Trump’s order on social media.

In a post on X Thursday, Carney noted that the Lake Ontario name dates back more than 400 years, predating both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

He says it’s a Wendat word which means “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.”

“We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms,” Carney wrote. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.”

The move comes amid another sharp deterioration in Canada-U.S. relations.

Trump had floated the Lake America name in recent days as his administration escalated its trade dispute with Canada.

The U.S. recently imposed 50 per cent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks between the two countries broke down.

Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American products.

Trump has also repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the United States’ “51st state,” rhetoric that has drawn condemnation north of the border as relations between the longtime allies have deteriorated.

Cross-border collapse

The tensions, of course, have impacted cross-border tourism.

A Statistics Canada report released last month said that the number of Canadian residents returning home from trips to the US fell 25.4 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024.

The spring and summer months of this year, however, have showed signs of a slow recovery.

A first sign that “elbows” were gradually going down first emerged in April, when Statistics Canada reported a 1.8 per cent year-over-year increase in Canadian residents returning from trips to the U.S.

In June, Canadian residents made 1.7 million return trips from the U.S., marking a 3.2 per cent increase compared to June 2025.

Return trips by car for that month rose 5.2 per cent year over year, while return trips by air declined 3.8 per cent.

READ MORE: Signs of a shift? StatCan data suggests Canadians may be warming up to U.S. travel

Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. then increased 10.2 per cent year over year in July. (Although, everything is still below 2024 levels)

Industry insiders believe Trump’s recent actions will derail any recovery in Canada-U.S. travel that was starting to emerge.

Jakki Prince, chief epic officer and owner of Prince Adventures, told PAX in July that political commentary has repeatedly shown to motivate Canadians back into the “elbows up” camp, and keep them spending tourism dollars at home or elsewhere abroad.

Ontario’s Shalene Dudley, CEO of Latitude Concierge Travels, shared a similar sentiment.

“I think that anytime [Trump] opens his mouth to speak about Canada, it causes some negative effect to consumers who may take more time to consider where they prefer to spend their hard-earned Canadian dollars,” Dudley told PAX in July.

READ MORE: Jane Clementino’s advice as Canada-U.S. tensions escalate: stay close to clients

In a statement to PAX earlier this week, Jane Clementino, senior vice president and general manager of TRAVELSAVERS Canada, said political and economic uncertainty is making Canadian more deliberate about where their vacation dollars go.

The latest trade developments raise the possibility that some Canadians who had begun reconsidering U.S. vacations could reverse course again.

But it’s still “too early” to predict, Clementino said.

“Where we are today may not be where we are a week or two from now, as discussions continue to evolve and circumstances can change quickly,” she said.

Keep listening to clients

What Clementino isn't seeing, however, is evidence that Canadians are abandoning travel altogether.

“When we look at the broader picture, Canadians are embracing travel,” she said. “Bookings have rebounded in Q3, with sales now ahead of where they were at this time last year, and 2027 travel is booking strongly.”

For travel advisors, changing consumer sentiment presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Clients who previously defaulted to a U.S. vacation may now be more open to discussing Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico or other alternatives.

Others may still want to visit the United States but require greater reassurance about value before committing.

“They’re considering different destinations and looking for opportunities where they feel they can get strong value without compromising the experience,” Clementino said.

That puts advisors in an increasingly important position as both interpreters of market conditions and curators of alternatives, she said.

“For advisors, that makes understanding the individual client even more important,” Clementino said.

Clementino’s advice to travel advisors? Keep listening to what clients are saying.

“As travel becomes more complex, that expertise and personalized guidance become increasingly valuable,” she said. “The priority for advisors is to stay close to their clients, understand their needs and help them make informed decisions as the market continues to evolve.”

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