OREGON — Spending by international travelers to Oregon this summer has dropped sharply, down 21% this July compared with July 2024, according to an analysis of Visa card spending prepared for Travel Oregon.
The Oregon Coast took the biggest hit — international travelers’ spending in July, the most recent month for which figures were available, plummeted to half of last year’s
“We go weeks now without getting a guide [book] order from Canada, which is very unusual, so it’s definitely changed now,” says Josh Heineman, Seaside’s director of tourism marketing. “There’s certainly a lot less volume of interest in traveling here.”
President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada the “51st state” have alienated the biggest source of international tourism to Oregon: Canadians, who make up more than half of international visitors. Canadians’ Visa card spending in Oregon this July was half that of July 2024.
“I will put my country ahead of my vacation plans and spend my money in Canada instead,” Janice Reynolds of Calgary, Alberta, wrote to Travel Oregon, the state’s lodging tax–supported agency.
“A lot of the letters, actually, people were sad,” says Julia Amato, director of communications at Travel Oregon. “They wanted to come here, but just as a source of honoring their own country, they didn’t feel like they could spend their dollars here in the United States.”
International tourists spent an estimated $700 million in Oregon last year. This summer, every area of the state lost international tourism dollars, the Travel Oregon data shows.
•••
This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project (oregonjournalismproject.org), a nonprofit investigative newsroom for the state of Oregon.
Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?)
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published.
Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today!
Receive weekly updates on obituaries and death notices.
Oregon Capital Press presented by Columbia Gorge News
Receive updates on upcoming promotions and special sections.
Receive weekly updates on local sports news.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.