Gas Prices Spike, Hurting U.S.-Canada Travel

0:00It's April 24th. This is Calgary News today, powered by AI. Gas prices are spiking across North America, hitting drivers hard and slamming the brakes on cross-border road trips. A fill-up for a 14-gallon tank now costs about $56 in the US, up from 41, while in Canada, it's jumped to 94. Dollars from 70, that's nearly 30% more than last year, and it's piling on to already tense US-Canada relations. Canadian car trips to the US plunge 30.9% last year, with February 26th, seeing a 12.3% drop. To 1.2 million visits, mostly day trips, meanwhile, American visits to Canada dip 3% last year, but bounce back over 6% this February. Experts points at tariffs, trade wars, and heated political talk, as the big culprits softening demand. Border towns are feeling the pain, big time. In places like Blaine, Washington, and Niagara, traffic from Canada is down 10-40%, crushing

1:03retail, restaurants, and tourism revenue. Mayors and tourism bosses say folks are choosing meds over road trips, and polls show 67% of Canadians avoiding the US over tensions, and safety fears, like ice detentions. Fuel tourism, where Canadians cross for cheaper gas, has tanked from 20% of trips to just 2%. Fire prices both sides, plus a week Canadian dollar, and new US state taxes, kill any incentive. Surveys reveal 32% of Canadians, and 42% of Americans, tweaking summer plans to pump shock. This combo of costs and distrust means cross-border travel, especially north to south, will likely stay low for the long haul. Gray deals my help, but rebuilding that neighborly vibe won't happen overnight.