California governor urges Canadians to ignore Trump, come back for sand, sun and wine

California wooing Canada

Photo: The Canadian Press

California Gov. Gavin Newsom makes an announcement at a news conference at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on March 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Damian Dovarganes

California is calling for Canadians to come back and pay a visit.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken to social media urging the two million Canadians who visited last year to come back and enjoy the Golden State’s wine, sun and sand.

Newsom, without calling out U.S. President Donald Trump by name, says Canadians should not let a dust-up with Washington stop them from renewing their love affair with his coastal paradise.

Canadians have sharply curtailed vacation plans south of the border given an ongoing tariff war, reports of travellers being detained by U.S. officials, and Trump openly musing about annexing the country.

Canadians are the second-biggest international spenders for California's tourism economy, and state tourism officials say visits by Canadians dropped 12 per cent in February compared with the same month last year.

Travel agents paint a grimmer picture, with one Vancouver-based consultant saying travel to the U.S. has seen "a near total collapse."