As Memorial Day weekend kicks off the unofficial start of summer, a familiar buzz is noticeably quieter along the vibrant strip of Hampton Beach.
While the popular New Hampshire destination, a longtime hot spot for Canadian tourists, certainly isn’t empty, local businesses are reporting a significant drop in visitors from our northern neighbors.
“Obviously, they bring a lot of business to us, they help, you know, keep us running,” said Tarren Alves, general manager of the Boardwalk restaurant and hotel. “We were hoping for a better turnout, but we didn’t quite get to where we wanted.”
After President Donald Trump’s White House meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, political commentator Sue O’Connell talks about the relationship between the two countries.
However, the holiday weekend crowds, a traditional barometer for the summer season, aren’t quite what they used to be. Hampton Beach Commissioner Chuck Rage recalls a different era.
“When I first started in 1984, the hotel was full for Memorial Day weekend, three-night minimum by Feb. 15,” said Rage, who also owns a hotel and a business on the strip. “Now it’s all weather.”
Hotels, typically booked solid for most of the summer by this time of year, are finding themselves with unexpected vacancies.
“We still have a couple openings, and I’ve heard that’s kind of the scenario across the strip,” Alves said. “It’s kind of taking a little hit.”
This dip in tourism isn’t anecdotal. Statistics Canada reports a stark decline in the number of Canadian cars crossing the New Hampshire border, dropping a dramatic 49% last month compared to last year. An analyst with Statistics Canada, Yigebashal Mekonnen, noted that it’s been gradual.
“In February, it was down by 18.2%, and then in March, it was 31.8%,” Mekonnen said.
The smaller crowds are a reflection of ongoing tensions between the United States and Canada, primarily fueled by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his repeated statements about making Canada the 51st U.S. state.
Despite the political headwinds, some remain optimistic about the enduring relationship. Chuck Rage emphasized the deep historical ties.
“Quebec and New Hampshire have been best friends for 250 years, so we won’t let politics ruin it,” Rage said. “If you don’t come this year, you’ll come next year or the year after.”
