(Bloomberg) — For years, the arrival of the Toronto Blue Jays in Seattle introduced a well-known sight: tens of hundreds of exuberant Canadians pouring into town to cheer on their baseball crew.
However this yr, the crowds are noticeably thinner. Eager to carry them again, Seattle is providing a hefty low cost — in hopes of reviving the cross-border custom throughout three video games this weekend in opposition to the Seattle Mariners at T-Cell Park.
Iconic seafood restaurant Ivar’s, the Area Needle and the Pacific Science Middle are amongst dozens of companies taking part within the promotion that accepts Canadian {dollars} at par all weekend. With the loonie price simply 72 US cents, that successfully provides guests who present Canadian IDs a few 30% low cost.
“I believe we’re incomes goodwill, which is what we wished with our neighbors,” mentioned Ivar’s founder Bob Donegan. “However we’re not seeing a major improve within the variety of Blue Jay followers coming to Seattle.”
Tourism officers on each side of the US-Canada border report that journey has dropped sharply amid political rigidity and financial uncertainty.
On the Blaine, Washington border crossing, a significant entry level for guests from Vancouver, southbound visitors was down 52% within the first two weeks of April in comparison with the identical interval final yr. Passenger arrivals on Air Canada flights to Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport dropped 66% in March.
Canadians cite frustration with US insurance policies below President Donald Trump, together with tariffs and his repeated suggestion that Canada ought to grow to be the 51st state. Different vacationers are avoiding the US over fears of being detained or pulled apart for questioning on the border as half the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown.
Including to the pressure, Canada’s financial system is displaying indicators of weak spot. Information launched Friday confirmed the nation’s unemployment price rose to six.9% in April amid job losses in sectors like manufacturing which can be affected by tariffs.
This system to simply accept Canadian foreign money, referred to as “Open Arms for Our Canadian Pals,” contains inns, eating places and even transportation corporations like FRS Clipper, a ship service between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, in addition to Kenmore Air, which runs seaplanes between Washington State and western Canada.
Even with this effort, Donegan mentioned that searching his window on Friday, he noticed not one of the signature Blue Jays ballcaps that usually swarm the realm through the video games.
He additionally mentioned interviews that he’s executed with Vancouver radio stations in latest days have been adopted by offended followers calling in to say they’re “so irritated with the American coverage that they aren’t coming to city.”
“They’re usually delightfully goofy Canadians who’re so pleasant and so centered,” Donegan mentioned. “So we miss them lots.”
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