There is a word that is usually ‘connected’ to shortcomings. Or perhaps more ‘clinical’ is the explanation “the amount by which something is less than what is required, expected, or earned” and it can take many forms. In humor (the kind that Jimmy Carr uses), “I aided my partner in assisted suicide. I threw her in a wood chipper, she was too scared to do that herself”, and depending on that nations laws, assisted suicide is accepted. Then we get less than was expected “That pinky thingy is nothing like the nine inches you promised me”, which can have all kinds of reasons and there is less then earned which we get from Money.CA (at https://money.ca/news/economy/us-tourism-deficit-canada-travel-bill) where we see ‘First U.S. tourism deficit since 1999 hits nearly US$14B — and Trump’s trade representative now backs a bill to entice Canadians back’, US bill to entice Canadians back? This I have to see. Even the Baron Munchausen couldn’t weave a story that enticing and that man has experience weaving stories. So as we are given “The U.S. travel sector ran a trade deficit of nearly US$14 billion last year as millions of Canadian travelers took their vacations elsewhere. It was the sector’s first deficit since data collection began in 1999, according to a report from Democrats on Congress’s Joint Economic Committee cited by Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.” You see over a year ago in ‘Honey and ladders’ (https://lawlordtobe.com/2025/07/05/honey-and-ladders/) I gave the world (the world that reads why blog) ““Amid the president’s immigration crackdown, travel bans and sweeping global tariffs, the U.S. is expected to be the only one out of 184 countries to see foreign visitor spending fall in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.” With the addition of “The study suggests that the U.S. economy is on track to lose $12.5 billion in international spending this year alone – but the actual shortfall might be much greater.”” So I gave that over a year ago and now we see that the first tourism deficit hits nearly $14B, I think I called that rather neat over a year ago and I reckon that until deep into 2035 that is not change, the deficits will come and come and come. So now we get “Now, Washington D.C. is trying to lure those travelers back. Last July, U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer told a Senate committee he’d fully support a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting travel with Canada and Mexico. He agreed the decline in tourism is problematic and would support the proposal “100%,” according to the Las Vegas Sun.” Apart from the fact that I personally see Jamieson Greer to be part of the problem and not of any solution, but that might be my shortsighted part in this. So whilst we get that “A travel trade deficit means Americans spent more on trips abroad than international visitors spent in the U.S. The U.S. ran a travel surplus in 2024, but in 2025 it flipped to a multibillion-dollar deficit. Canadians were a major part of that decline. In 2025, Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. fell 25.4%, according to Statistics Canada (StatCan). That capped an 11-month streak of year-over-year declines the agency calls the deepest and most sustained on record outside the pandemic. Leisure visits to the U.S. dropped 21.5%, or 3.2 million visits, and Canadians’ spending on U.S. trips fell by CA$3.3 billion to CA$18.8 billion.” I think that the main reasons comes much closer to home. That person labelled the Clown of the United States (no idea who they are talking about) comes with 51st state mentions, calling Canadian exploiters, all whilst the trouble is south of the Canadian borders and Mexicans agree, in summer, Canada is a friendly place (in winter too, but they find solid water weird and hinkey. To each their own I say and I get that Mexico do not appreciate clothing they can only wear on vacation. Luckily for me I never have to because even as a hockey fan our water tends to be fluidic at best (more a Summer Mcintosh than a Brooke Mcintosh element) but that is the limitation we work with and to be honest even as a non-swimmer I could (hopefully) best Brooke Mcintosh in water with her skates on. And lastly we see “There are practical hurdles too: Canadians who stay in the U.S. longer than 30 days must now register with the U.S. government.” I wonder if it is just Canadians or all visitors, because in the age of data centers the bulk of the people in the Commonwealth, EU and for that matter Asian and the gulf states as well, are not to fond of handing their data to the United States, especially if they are merely on vacation. Then there is the Bond issue Consular officers determine the required bond amount—$10,000, $15,000, or $20,000—at the time of the visa interview and we can do so much with that money, like buy a complete Mac Pro in the UAE (as it is a zero tax country) for that matter and their visas are around $75 for 30 days. And as tourism is becoming a killer aspect, any trip to the United States should score ultra low on anyones agenda, especially as the quality of fun of a trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai could outdo whatever the United States hands you. In the entire article, I merely have one setting that I do not agree with “Canadians continue to have a strong appetite for travel, but they’re being thoughtful about where they go and how they spend their money,” she said. “The United States remains an important destination for winter getaways, cruises and visits with family and friends.” The element visit family and friends remain, the rest is doubtful. Europe has plenty of winter getaways and some say (I have never been on any winter vacation) that the French Alps are to be experienced to be believed. Which is fine, but two years ago, most of those fields were a little absent of snow. There are those who think that Canada is the exquisite experience but there I must be cautious, because he queues around mount Whistler (somewhere north of Vancouver) are a little bit of a downer and then there is China who has its snow fields, it has several and I merely mention one of them “Chongli (Hebei Province), The co-host zone for the winter games near Beijing, featuring major infrastructure at resorts like Wanlong Ski Resort, Genting, and Thaiwoo” (source: skiresort.info) as said, I have never been on a winter vacation although I have been sort of Skiing in Switzerland and Sweden (but I keep to ‘sort of’) because my knowledge on these contraptions could be measured with a thimble.
Well, so whilst we see (some with humour) that the United States is going in deficit more and more, as such it will teach them to call my Canadian brethren part of the 51st state and a few less appealing things. And as a premium effort, let me introduce Canadians to the options of the UAE, in particular Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which could both be seen as they are a mere hour away from one another. I would advice to stay in Abu Dhabi with all its parks and entertainment and take the train 2-3 times because Dubai is a place to see for yourself. Feel free to doubt me, but there are loads of videos on both places on YouTube, so see for yourself. Never believe any source without looking at the evidence and a vacation wherever you go is still capturing your fee time, as such you should see what you are in for. And for Canadians there is a bonus. It is Visa-Free Entry for Canadians. You receive a 90-day visa on arrival free of charge, which can be used within a 180-day period (either continuously or across multiple visits), that beats US travels on an expensive bond any day of the week and that is how the United States priced themselves out of a tourism race. Its like watching a Chevrolet Chevette Diesel going up against that dinkey toy that Lewis Hamilton drives (I think it is a Ferrari Rocher) but I think my point comes across nicely. I thought the American version was too Crass (entering a gunfight with a blackjack) So you have a great day all and in good taste like all Commonwealthians say “Lets add to the deficit of the United States” they earned it.
Have a great day today, as it is Halloween.
