2 days ago
Tourists return to parts of the region, but where are the Americans?
Tourism officials in Sarnia-Lambton are touting a boost in visitors as some other centres, including London, see a decline.
Bookings are up 4 per cent year over year. That compares with a 5 per cent decline for London and 11 per cent in Windsor.
It is a cause for celebration for the region's long-suffering hospitality industry.
'We're not complaining. We're excited about it,' said Geoff Eisenbraun, the general manager of the Four Points Hotel.
The excitement is boosted by the fact that 80 per cent of visitors to Sarnia-Lambton hail from Ontario. Adam Veen of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton states that a further 10 per cent come from other parts of Canada.
Adam Veen of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton
Adam Veen of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton on Aug 8, 2025. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
'They're surprised at how easy travel is when you cross the provinces. And it makes it worthwhile,' said Veen.
No doubt, by this point in the article, you've likely done the math on who's missing.
Even though the United States is just across the river, Veen admits American licence plates remain hard to find.
'That's true. We have seen a little bit of a decline in the American visitors, who were down about 6 per cent,' he explained.
The aftermath of the pandemic still weighs on the drop. But the fallout of the trade and tariff war has yet to be measured.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley on Aug 8, 2025. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
'We haven't seen any trends based on the actual tariffs or any type of trade war as far as travel goes. It's more about the communication, about the ease of border traffic,' said Veen.
'Well, we've always found American tourists a challenge,' said Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley. 'You know, the lack of knowledge of the country, the lack of knowledge about discounts on the dollar, the whole passport issue. There's always been things out there that seem to have kept them wanting to come over here, you know, in the numbers that we did back when we had to cross-border shopping back in the early 90s.'
One place Americans have returned to is the local marina.
Sarnia Marina operator Jeff Peters
Sarnia Marina operator Jeff Peters on Aug 8, 2025. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
'This year, I would say 65 per cent of our transient voters are U.S. voters overall, which is about a 30 per cent increase over last year,' said operator Jeff Peters.
Still, it will be some time before it's truly 'smooth' sailing for tourism in Sarnia-Lambton.
'Yes, it's going to take time for people to be comfortable, you know, back to their sense of comfort that they had before. Politics aside, I think people in general are concerned economically, as to what's coming,' concluded Eisenbraun.
