Trump’s social-media screening plan for British, EU and Japanese visitors is a boon for Canadian tourism
U.S. President Donald Trump is once again showering generosity on his northern neighbours.
His administration’s plan to require foreign travellers from more than 40 countries – including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan – to disclose five years of social-media history to enter the United States is yet another gift for Canada’s tourism industry.
The proposal, published in the Federal Register on Dec. 10, gives new meaning to aggressive hospitality. But as they say in the American South: Bless your heart.
Canada’s tourism sector, which is on track for a banner year because of U.S. tariffs and annexation threats, will also benefit from Mr. Trump’s latest bout of congeniality.
That’s because the proposed social-media screening is sowing confusion for international travellers, including permanent residents of Canada who hail from the affected countries.
Canadian citizens, who do not require visas to visit the U.S., are not expected to face new requirements as a result of this particular proposal. But U.S. border agents are already empowered to search the contents of electronic devices, including cellphones, which is why many tourists and business travellers from Canada now carry burner devices to protect their privacy or to safeguard company information.
But the new U.S. plan to vet social-media posts is creating chaos for foreign nationals from 42 countries that are included in a visa waiver program. It allows them to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for short visits of 90 days or less without a visa if they are cleared through an electronic system for travel authorization, or ESTA, for a small fee.
The U.S. is also planning to decommission the ESTA website, leaving the ESTA mobile app as the sole platform for applications.
But with travel rules in flux, there are worries about the nebulous standards that Washington will use to determine what constitutes objectionable content in social-media posts.
Is criticism of the Trump administration the new red line? No one knows.
It is also unclear whether the proposed screening requirement will apply to private messages sent on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X.
In a rare evening address from the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump boasted on Wednesday of his accomplishments and blamed his Democratic predecessor for soaring consumer prices as his party braces for a tough midterm election next year.
The proposed restrictions hit home for many Canada-based families. It is not uncommon to have Canadian citizens and permanent residents (many of whom require ESTAs) living in the same household.
These global families also travel together. As a result, the proposed social-media screening plan creates yet another disincentive to spend their travel dollars in the U.S.
There were already plenty of deterring factors aside from Mr. Trump’s musings about making Canada the 51st state.
The U.S. State Department’s 2021 decision to designate Cuba, a popular destination for Canadian and European tourists alike, as a “state sponsor of terrorism” is also creating hassles.
Specifically, it precludes foreigners whose countries are included in the U.S. visa waiver program but have travelled to Cuba since Jan. 12, 2021, from being authorized for travel using an ESTA. Those foreigners must apply for a visa for U.S. travel.
Another headache is the U.S. Department of the Interior’s “America-first” pricing grid that sharply increases fees for non-residents who visit U.S. national parks, including the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
Starting Jan. 1, an annual pass will cost US$80 for U.S. residents and US$250 for non-residents.
Non-residents without an annual pass will be required to pay US$100 a person, in addition to the standard entrance fee, to visit 11 of the most popular national parks, according to the announcement.
“President Trump’s leadership always puts American families first,” stated Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a news release.
Fabulous!
Thank you for persuading foreign tourists that they would be better off spending their hard-earned money in Canada.
The country’s tourism industry, which recorded $104.4-billion in revenues in 2024, is poised for more growth in 2025 in part because foreigners eschewed U.S. travel.
A U.S. congressional committee report found that declining Canadian tourism is hurting American businesses in every state along the border because of a near 20-per-cent year-over-year drop in car traffic during the first 10 months of 2025.
Meanwhile, the Canada Strong Pass initiative – granting free or discounted entry at historic sites, parks and museums – spurred an increase in domestic and foreign visitors to hot spots such as Cape Breton, N.S., Banff, Alta., and Cavendish, PEI.
The federal government, which is renewing the program in 2026, has an opportunity to be bold. There will be a surge of tourists attending the FIFA 2026 World Cup. (Hint: Push the airlines to offer meaningful discounts on domestic flights.)
U.S. travel is becoming increasingly unpleasant for foreign tourists. Let’s welcome them to Canada instead.
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