THUNDER BAY — Paul Pepe says the local tourism sector is in for another wild ride this year.
Tariffs on Canadian goods imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump could have some unexpected positive news on the visitor front in 2025, said Pepe, the tourism manager for the City of Thunder Bay.
More and more Canadians are cancelling trips south of the border and looking for opportunities closer to home. There is also a population of Americans who disagree with Trump’s tariffs who are now openly looking for ways to support Canada in what they believe to be an unprovoked trade war with their neighbours north of the border.
There’s always a silver lining, Pepe said on Thursday, after unveiling this year’s Thunder Bay Experience guide.
It’s all new territory, he added.
“We’re an industry, over the last 20 to 25 years, that’s used to sudden changes and used to having to shift gears and we’re going to have to do it again,” Pepe said.
Tariffs could increase prices for restaurants that rely on supplies from the United States, and businesses that export to America could also suffer if importers shift gears and find other, less expensive suppliers.
But it’s not all bad news, at least when it comes to tourism.
“A lot of Canadians are looking to stay in Canada this year. They’re cancelling their U.S. vacations, looking to stay in Canada, so there’s an opportunity there,” Pepe said.
“And, with the dollar difference, Canada is still great value for American visitors and there are a lot of Americans that really do support Canada right now. They’re empathetic with the situation right now and they’re definitely interested … and they appreciate our values as a country.”
Pepe said the city is running a number of tourism campaigns, in partnerships and on their own, in the U.S. Midwest, as well as across Canada.
For now, they’re looking at what the best bang for the city’s buck will be marketing Thunder Bay to both markets.
“With our digital channels, we’re able to shift gears pretty quickly. The other thing too is we’re going to amplify our investments in convention and sport-event attraction to Thunder Bay as well. Having the hotel tax here is a really powerful tool with helping us financially incentivize conventions and sport events to come to Thunder Bay,” Pepe said.
“That helps offset the inflationary pressures those events could face over the next year or two.”
Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff said while there is plenty of tension on both sides of the border, with plenty of uncertainty and a renewed sense of Canadian pride north of the border, said he is somewhat concerned.
“My job is to worry and I am nervous, but you know, we have great relationships, particularly with our northern states, so from us here in the Northwest, I think people know we still want to see American visitors because we want to reaffirm friendships,” Boshcoff said.
“You don’t want to worsen them.”
The city plans to print 60,000 copies of the guide this year, the same number that were snapped up in 2024 – along with 20,000 digital downloads of the publication. Pepe said in addition to tourists, the guide is being used to market the city by potential employers, like mines and hospitals.
The cover was designed by local artist Vik Wilen.
