Indigenous collaboration can help bridge the divide
The drumbeat of news on the impacts of the Trump Administration’s tariffs and challenges to other nations' sovereignty continues to grow louder. While declarations of "ghost town ports" are premature, all forecasts indicate significant declines in imports and exports in the coming weeks.
International tourism is another impacted export. A drop in visitor numbers can make or break profits for related industries, from big airlines to small businesses that cater to tourists. And that in turn could mean dramatic drops in service industry jobs.
Recent research by Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International, documents the health of America’s hospitality industry is vulnerable due to America’s current negative reputation globally.
Almost one-third of travel managers expect a significant decline in business travel in 2025, according to a Global Business Travel Association survey. The survey indicates an average 21% decline in travel volume, with spending potentially dropping by $88 billion.
Some specific examples include Hilton revising its 2025 revenue per available room citing macroeconomic uncertainty that has led to a decline in leisure demand. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reported lower-than-expected revenue and profit for the first quarter, citing a slowdown in demand for premium cruises amid economic uncertainty. Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian stated, “with broad economic uncertainty around global trade, growth has largely stalled.”
This is not trivial for Washington state’s tourism industry. According to the U.S. Travel Association, Canada was the number-one source of international visitors to the U.S. in 2024, with 20.4 million Canadian visitors. A new study of Canadian traveler sentiment cites another striking figure. Fully 60% of Canadians say U.S policies and political statements make them less likely to travel across the border in the next 12 months. Thirty-six percent of those surveyed had planned to travel to the U.S. in the next year but have since canceled those plans.
In a typical year, when the Bluejays play the Mariners in Seattle, Canadians flood T-Mobile and the stadium looks more like a home game for our northern neighbors. But that’s not what’s expected this at this weekend’s games. The soft hotel bookings are one more indicator for a significant drop in Canadian visitors this summer.
Undeterred, I’ve just spent an enlightening few days at an Indigenous tourism conference in Ucluelet, B.C., to learn more about how First Nations engage in sustainable tourism. Lending credence to the numbers I had already seen, several attendees I spoke with mentioned they recently canceled plans to visit the U.S.
Instead, more Canadians are planning to travel within Canada — and frequenting First Nations’ tourism-related businesses. They’re generating revenue in rural communities, promoting conservation and learning more about Indigenous cultures. Ahous Adventures and the Tin Wis Resort are two of the Indigenous-owned businesses I visited.
The cover story of the 2025 Vancouver Visitor is “Explore Indigenous Tourism — Connect with 50 Vancouver Island First Nation Communities." Promoting sustainable tourism through Indigenous-led businesses is certainly entrepreneurial — but it’s also an assertion of sovereignty and resilience. Through cultural interpretation and environmental restoration, First Nations communities are not only welcoming visitors to the beautiful Pacific Northwest but educating them. In doing so, they’re elevating the visitor experience and redefining what responsible travel looks like.
On the U.S. side, the Fall & Winter 2024 Visitors Guide for the Olympic Peninsula featured an entire page highlighting the tribes who reside on the peninsula. A new initiative called the Juan de Fuca Crossing is underway recognizing the ecological and cultural wealth found on both sides of the border. It is the first Tourism Corridor Strategy Program to cross between Canada and the U.S. By "enhancing community well-being and safeguarding natural ecosystems, the Corridor will develop the region's economic, social, and cultural potential through sustainable coastal tourism.”
While our countries find ways to collaborate, the tribes on both sides of the border will continue to celebrate their connections through their annual canoe journey — an event that will be hosted by the Elwha Tribe in Port Angeles this year. It’s heartening to see tribes upholding these traditions, despite historic efforts to eradicate them. After all, their relationships have existed since time immemorial, long before the border existed.
With the World Cup coming up in 2026, I hope we’re able to find some inspiration in the tribes’ spirit of cooperation. I intend to do my part by continuing to promote the Port of Seattle as a welcoming port. For all those visiting football fans going to games in both the U.S. and Canada, I hope they are enticed to support Indigenous businesses by going on a “three-nation vacation.”
“Haven’t you heard, man — tourism is dead.” That’s what a U.S. border agent said to me as I returned home to Washington earlier this week. Well, if he had attended this conference in Ucluelet, he might have thought differently. From what I saw, tourism alive and growing, thanks to Indigenous leadership.
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