Why Canadian Tourism To Cape May County Is Declining: The Impact Of Political Tensions, Exchange Rates, And The Economy On Wildwood’s Visitor Numbers

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Canadian tourism to Cape May County, particularly connected Wildwood has decreased because of nan sour governmental relations betwixt U.S. and Canada, falling speech rates on pinch different world economics issues. Political hostility — including waste and acquisition disputes and tariff threats, which person created frost betwixt nan nations successful caller months; and an unfavorable speech complaint that makes American recreation much costly for Canadians — has besides made vacations little economical. Combined pinch residual impacts of COVID-19, nan consequence is that a ample number of Canadian visitors to Jersey Shore person seconded guessed visiting connected their travel for this summer.

Cape May County, specifically Wildwood, has been a celebrated destination for Canadians complete nan past fewer decadesl -particularly during precocious July and early August’s”construction holiday.” This unofficial holiday, which started retired arsenic a time disconnected for building workers successful Quebec, has go an yearly visit for galore Canadians who caput to nan confederate Jersey Shore. But section business leaders are seeing a worrisome slump successful Canadian tourism complete nan past mates of years, and it’s taking its toll connected really overmuch Canadians walk while here.

Canadian visitors supply betwixt 7% and 9% of nan tourism money successful this region, said Diane Wieland, head of tourism for Cape May County. This has agelong been a important portion of nan county’s economy, particularly during nan tallness of summertime erstwhile Canadians typically watercourse into Wildwood and different statement towns. But successful 2023, nan Canadian visitors who mightiness erstwhile person visited are a rarity and businesses for illustration this 1 consciousness deprived.

The Decline successful Canadian Visitors: Economic and Political Causes

Several factors person contributed to nan alteration successful Canadian visitors on nan confederate Jersey Shore, but nan superior reasons look to beryllium economical successful nature, compounded by governmental tensions betwixt nan United States and Canada. U.S. Customs reported a 17.4% alteration successful travelers entering from Canada arsenic of June 2023, and a caller study by Leger Marketing recovered that complete half of Canadians who had planned to sojourn nan U.S. had chosen replacement destinations instead.

One awesome rumor is nan speech complaint betwixt nan U.S. dollar and nan Canadian dollar. As of precocious July, 1 U.S. dollar was worthy 1.38 Canadian dollars, while nan reverse speech complaint made nan Canadian dollar worthy only 72 cents successful U.S. currency. This unfavorable speech complaint intends that Canadians must walk importantly much erstwhile walking to nan U.S., peculiarly for things for illustration gasoline, food, and lodging.

In Quebec, for instance, gasoline costs astir CA$5.64 per gallon, while successful New Jersey, nan value is importantly little astatine $3.05 per gallon. The quality successful prices, on pinch nan speech rate, importantly increases nan costs for Canadian families to recreation to Cape May County for their vacation.

Additionally, governmental tensions betwixt nan U.S. and Canada person added substance to nan fire. Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat successful early July to enforce a 35% tariff connected Canadian equipment successful consequence to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s refusal to driblet a integer services taxation connected U.S. tech companies only heightened nan strain betwixt nan 2 countries. This governmental climate, on pinch different factors, whitethorn person dissuaded immoderate Canadian visitors from walking to nan U.S. altogether.

The Impact of nan COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic besides had a important effect connected Canadian tourism to Cape May County, arsenic recreation restrictions closed nan U.S.-Canada separator for overmuch of 2020. While Canadian tourism began to retrieve successful 2021, it has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Prior to nan pandemic, Cape May County saw a beardown beingness of Canadian visitors during nan building holiday, pinch galore families booking rooms for weeks astatine a clip and returning twelvemonth aft year.

By 2023, tourism numbers from Canada had improved but were still only astir 60% to 65% of what they were earlier nan pandemic. The economical strain caused by nan pandemic, coupled pinch nan ongoing governmental and financial challenges, has made it harder for Canadians to warrant a travel to nan Jersey Shore.

The Historical Significance of Canadian Tourism to Cape May County

The relationship betwixt Cape May County and Canadian visitors, peculiarly from Quebec, has been beardown since nan 1970s. During that time, nan building vacation became a celebrated clip for Canadians to vacation. Local officials successful Cape May County recognized nan opportunity and began advertizing to Canadian markets, peculiarly successful Montreal and Quebec. The strategy paid off, and Cape May County became a apical destination for Canadian families, pinch galore returning twelvemonth aft year.

As nan years passed, this relationship only deepened. The region’s tourism agency operated successful Montreal until 1995, and section businesses began to cater specifically to their Canadian guests. Many motels, resorts, and campgrounds were filled pinch Quebecois families during nan summertime months, and Wildwood, successful particular, became known for its French-speaking visitors.

The area’s section system grew accustomed to this influx of Canadian tourists, and nan narration became an integral portion of nan section tourism identity. Businesses successful Cape May County proceed to advertise to Canadians and support a French-language beingness connected societal media, but nan existent downturn is raising concerns astir nan early of this captious connection.

The Impact connected Local Businesses

For section business owners successful Cape May County, nan alteration successful Canadian visitors is already being felt. Motels and resorts that typically spot a ample number of Canadian families booking rooms months successful beforehand are struggling to capable vacancies. Sylvia Rutkowski, who useful astatine Five Mile Marketplace successful Wildwood, remembers erstwhile nan shop was bustling pinch French-speaking customers. This year, however, nan absence of Canadian visitors has been noticeable.

Kathleen Thompson, who owns nan Granada Ocean Resort successful Wildwood Crest, reported that, typically, astir 30 of her 36 rooms are booked by Canadian families during nan highest of nan summer. This year, however, she has been accommodating walk-in guests, a motion that nan motel is not seeing its accustomed Canadian influx.

The Charm of Wildwood: A Town Steeped successful Tradition

While nan driblet successful Canadian visitors is simply a concern, Wildwood still has its charm. The municipality is known for its retro, “doo-wop” motels and neon signs that look stiff successful time, evoking nan classical formation picnic of nan 1950s. The section vibe, on pinch its long-standing relationship to Canadian tourists, makes Wildwood a nostalgic destination for galore families.

Debbie Heenan, who manages customer relations astatine nan Quebec Motel By-The-Sea, has noticed that a number of Canadian visitors often reserve their adjacent year’s enactment earlier departing, ensuring their return to nan motel. Wildwood’s familiarity, pinch its classical edifice atmosphere, continues to tie loyal visitors, and galore of them enactment successful touch pinch nan motel connected societal media during nan off-season.

Despite nan diminution successful Canadian tourists, businesses successful Wildwood stay hopeful that nan town’s unsocial entreaty will proceed to pull visitors from some sides of nan border, moreover if nan numbers person decreased.

The Future of Canadian Tourism to Cape May County

With Cape May County bracing for a diminution successful Canadian tourism, section businesses are scrambling to adjust. The governmental and economical realities driving that downturn mightiness beryllium temporary, but nan problems facing Cape May County tourism leaders are not. The early of Canadian tourism successful nan U.S. for illustration is apt to hinge connected a scope of factors, including erstwhile (or if) geopolitical tensions betwixt Canada and nan U.S. are resolved, really speech rates fluctuate, and pandemic betterment much generally.

Among different factors, nan number of Canadian visitors coming to Cape May County is falling because of governmental frictions for illustration waste and acquisition wars betwixt nan United States and Canada, disadvantageous speech rates for Americans overseas and continued economical stress. All of these forces person mixed to make recreation difficult, and little nosy for Wildwood arsenic well—especially erstwhile you adhd successful nan hangover from COVID-19.

For now, Cape May County and Wildwood must muddle done a summertime play pinch less Canadian tourists. Although its early is acold from certain, nan town’s long-standing ties to its Canadian guests clasp retired dream that 1 time soon — possibly not this summertime but next?—the Jersey Shore will erstwhile again beryllium a premier destination for families of Quebec and elsewhere.