Donald Trump dissuades Canadians traveling to United States: Poll

Nearly a third of Manitobans which was about 200,000 people wanted to stay away from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the poll.

"200,000 people, if they were all to follow through on that, that would have a very large impact on the travel, tourism and hospitality businesses," Scott MacKay, president of Winnipeg-based Probe Research Inc. said.

This province-wide survey was designed and conducted by Probe Research via telephone interviews taken between Nov. 29, 2016 and Dec. 11, 2016 among a random selection representing a sample of 1,000 adults living in Manitoba.

MacKay said that with a sample of 1,000 there could be 95 percent certainty that the results  within ± 3.1 percentage points represented the entire adult population of Manitoba being interviewed. 

More women than men said they wanted to avoid traveling to the U.S. under Trump. Nearly half, or 49 percent, of middle-aged women (aged 35 to 54) surveyed said they were now less likely to travel to the U.S.

That demographic is an important factor for businesses that rely on cross-border shoppers, said Barry Wilfahrt, president of the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce.

The metropolitan region spans the border of Minnesota and North Dakota and is located about 230 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

About 20 percent of overall retail sales and between a quarter and one-third of all hotel business in Grand Forks is represented by Canadians, according to the chamber.

"Anything that could potentially adversely affect the Canadian travel to the United States, particularly to Grand Forks, it's obviously a concern to us," said Wilfahrt.

More affluent population of South Winnipeg which were most likely to travel to the States are deterred by the thought of Donald Trump, said MacKay

For instance, 62 percent of those who said they were less likely to travel to the States under a Trump administration earn $ 60,000 or more a year.

"They are people who are a little more affluent, they come from places like South Winnipeg and other places that tend to go down to Fargo and Grand Forks a lot to visit," he said. "That's going to have some kind of implications for the U.S. and travel and tourism."

Although pollsters didn't look outside Manitoba to see people’s sentiments were across the country, MacKay said that Manitoba could represent Canada because it is very often the average place in Canada.

"Canadians seek value and they seek selection and that's what we offer in Grand Forks," said Barry Wilfahrt, Chief Executive Officer at The Chamber - Grand Forks/East Grand Forks.

"I know we do a lot of cross-border shopping just because of our proximity to the border but there are many places in Canada that are like that."

Wilfahrt said he believed after Canadians got used to President Trump they will resume their annual visits to towns like Grand Forks, which were close to the border.

"This election is maybe a little bit more polarizing than it's been in the past but I expect that once President Trump's first 100 days are over it will be business as usual," the Chamber of Commerce president said.

"At the end of the day, Canadians seek value and they seek selection and that's what we offer in Grand Forks…. That's why they'll continue to come down here."

Meanwhile, 62 percent of those surveyed said Trump's election will have zero effect on their travel habits, while four percent said they were more likely to visit. Five percent were unsure.

Surprisingly, a Mainstreet/Postmedia poll conducted during the U.S. election between Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, 2016 found that Manitoba supported Trump more than any other province, CBC reports said.

Only 28 percent of people surveyed in Manitoba said they would vote for the Republican candidate Hillary Clinton.