Maine business owners feel pinch from lack of Canadian tourists amid tariff uncertainty

WGME-TV13 • May 23, 2025

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer but a big question remains in Maine: How will the trade war between United States and Canada impact tourism in the state? According to the Maine Office of Tourism, nearly 800,000 Canadian visitors spent approximately $497.7 million in 2024. Overall, Canadians made up about 5% of last year's total of 14.8 million visitors, who spent more than $9.2 billion. That total spending supported 115,900 jobs in Maine and generated $5.4 billion in wages, according to the tourism office. Gov. Janet Mills, however, said in a radio address that Maine could lose an estimated 225,000 visitors from Canada this year as a result of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, as well as President Donald Trump's calls to make Canada the 51st state.