Canadian Toolkit

Small efforts can make a big difference. Here are a few easy ways to get started:

• Make it clear that Canadian visitors are welcome at your business. Simple touches, like displaying a Canadian flag, go a long way. Our team can provide a tabletop flag if needed. Reach out to your regional representative or email info@roostadk.com.
• Learn a few simple French phrases. Even a friendly “Bonjour” can make a strong first impression.
• Be mindful of differences in holidays, currency/exchange rate, and peak Canadian travel times.
• Keep your hours, pricing, and key information easy to find and understand, both in-person and online.
• Consider offering special packages, promotions, or experiences tailored to Canadian visitors, especially for holiday weekends and longer stays. With exchange rates in mind, visitors want to feel their experience is worth the cost. Highlight the value of what’s included with the offer, not simply the price. 

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If your business would like a professionally printed bilingual welcome sign, contact your ROOST representative or email info@roostadk.com. New this season: multilingual welcome stickers are also available for your business entrance. Contact us to request yours.

Labour Day: Monday, September 7, 2026 - Similar to the U.S., this end-of-summer long weekend is an ideal opportunity for a getaway. Promote 3-night stays and highlight hiking, paddling, scenic drives, and early fall experiences.

Canadian Thanksgiving: Monday, October 12, 2026 - A key fall travel period for Canadian visitors. Position the Adirondacks as a foliage-focused getaway and promote long-weekend stays, scenic drives, hiking, and seasonal experiences like local harvest offerings.

Québec Construction Winter Holiday: December 20, 2026 - January 2, 2027 - An important winter vacation window for Québec’s construction industry that overlaps Christmas and New Year’s. Promote family winter getaways, skiing, outdoor recreation, cozy lodging, dining, and multi-night stays.

Ontario Christmas Break: December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027 - Ontario schools are closed for two weeks, creating a strong family travel window that closely overlaps Québec’s construction holiday. Promote holiday getaways, family-friendly winter activities, skiing, lodging packages, and opportunities to extend stays between Christmas and New Year’s.

Christmas & New Year’s: December 25, 2026 - January 1, 2027 - With Canadian school and construction breaks overlapping the holidays, this is a key winter travel period. Position the Adirondacks for cozy holiday stays, skiing and winter recreation, dining, family experiences, and New Year’s getaways.

Ontario Family Day: Monday, February 15, 2027 - Ontario’s Family Day creates a 3-day winter weekend and a natural opportunity for a quick Adirondack getaway. Promote skiing, winter recreation, family-friendly experiences, and 3-night stays, particularly to drive-market audiences in eastern Ontario.

Québec March Break: Early March 2027 - A key winter travel period for Québec families and a strong opportunity for Adirondack winter getaways. Promote skiing, winter activities, family-friendly experiences, and multi-night stays, with an emphasis on proximity and easy access from Montréal.

Ontario March Break: March 15 - 19, 2027 - Ontario schools are closed for the province’s mid-winter break, creating a full week of family travel opportunity. Promote ski vacations, winter recreation, family-friendly itineraries, and multi-night stays. This later March break can also help extend winter visitation beyond the traditional peak season.

Good Friday & Easter Monday: March 26 & March 29, 2027 - The Easter weekend creates another spring travel opportunity, particularly for families with school-aged children. Promote long-weekend escapes, family activities, dining, and “arrive Thursday” offers.

Victoria Day / National Patriots’ Day: Monday, May 24, 2027 - Canada’s early-summer long weekend is a strong opportunity for Adirondack drive-market travel. In Québec, the day is observed as National Patriots’ Day. Promote fishing, paddling, hiking, early-season outdoor experiences, and multi-night stays, along with border-crossing and Leave No Trace information.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day / Fête nationale du Québec: Thursday, June 24, 2027 - A major cultural holiday in Québec and a strong opportunity to stay top of mind with Québec travelers. The Thursday timing also creates potential for visitors to extend the holiday into a 4-day getaway. Emphasize proximity, ease of access, outdoor recreation, mountain experiences, and multi-night itineraries.

Canada Day: Thursday, July 1, 2027 - While Canada Day itself may not be a primary driver of travel to the U.S., the Thursday timing creates the potential for an extended weekend. Use targeted outreach to stay top of mind with Canadian audiences and highlight easy-to-reach Adirondack summer getaways.

Québec Construction Holiday: July 25 - August 7, 2027 - One of the most important Québec vacation windows to have on the calendar. Promote extended stays, family and multigenerational trips, outdoor recreation, and itineraries that encourage visitors to explore multiple Adirondack communities.

Civic Holiday (Not QC): Monday, August 2, 2027 - Celebrated on the first Monday in August in Ontario and parts of Canada, the Civic Holiday creates another long summer weekend. In 2027, it also overlaps the Québec Construction Holiday, making this an especially valuable early-August window for Canadian drive-market messaging.

Sentiment Updates

Canadian travel sentiment toward the U.S. remains mixed, but there are some encouraging signs. The latest Longwoods International research found that 57% of Canadian travelers say U.S. political and trade policies make them less likely to visit, down from the peak of 63% in July 2025. There is still a ways to go, with only 34% currently viewing the U.S. as a safe place to visit.

Actual travel remains well below historic levels, but Canadians are still crossing the border. Statistics Canada reported Canadian return trips from the U.S. increased 3.2% year over year in June 2026, driven by a 5.2% increase in automobile travel. Overall travel was still 28.7% below June 2024 levels. For Adirondack businesses, the strength in automobile travel is worth watching given our proximity to Canadian drive markets.

Competition from travel within Canada also remains strong. Destination Canada estimates that Canadians redirecting international travel within Canada could generate an additional $4.4 billion in domestic tourism spending between 2025 and 2027.

Sources: Longwoods International | Statistics Canada | Destination Canada

Canadian Travelers Most Likely to Visit the U.S.

There is still opportunity. For Adirondack businesses, the focus should be on making it as easy and appealing as possible for Canadians who are open to traveling across the border.

• Repeat visitors
  • Give past Canadian guests a reason to come back. Familiarity with your business and the Adirondacks can help reduce some of the uncertainty around a U.S. trip.
  • Consider direct outreach, return-guest offers, and messaging around what's new or worth returning for.
• Drive-market travelers
  • Proximity remains one of our biggest advantages. Position the Adirondacks as an easy getaway from Québec and Ontario.
  • Make border information, drive times, parking, and trip-planning information easy to find.
  • Promote long weekends and Canadian holiday periods when travelers already have time off.
• Families
  • Highlight easy hikes, lakes, attractions, skiing, local events, and other experiences families can enjoy together.
  • Focus on approachable outdoor experiences and simple itineraries that take the work out of planning.
• Value-conscious travelers
  • Make the value of an Adirondack trip clear, especially with exchange rates adding to the cost of U.S. travel.
  • Highlight free and low-cost recreation, included amenities, packages, midweek offers, and experiences that help visitors get more from their stay.
• A warm welcome matters
  • Longwoods found that perceptions of the U.S. remain a barrier, so the experience visitors have once they arrive matters. 
  • Small things can help, from welcoming Canadian guests directly to making practical information easy to find and reinforcing the friendly, community-focused experience they can expect here.

Updated: August 2026

You may have seen opposition to visiting reflected in social media comments or email responses. How we respond matters. We want our Canadian audience to know we will be here whenever the time feels right for them. To support consistent and thoughtful communication, we have developed sample messaging in both English and French for shared use.

• View PDF "A Letter to Canada" in English
• View PDF "A Letter to Canada" in French

Sample copy for social media & email:

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your thoughts and concerns. We understand your decision regarding travel to the U.S. at this time and want you to know that we hear you and value our connection with our Canadian neighbours.

The bond between Canada and the Adirondacks runs deep. We are friends and neighbours who have shared generations of traditions and experiences.

Please remember there is no expiration date on an Adirondack welcome. Whenever the time feels right, we will be here. Until then, please know you will be missed.