Canada’s largest school board will not approve any new student trips to the United States in the wake of controversial travel restrictions proposed by President Donald Trump.
However, 25 trips involving about 900 Toronto District School Board students that are already scheduled for this spring will go ahead as planned unless circumstances change, TDSB education director John Malloy wrote in a letter to principals Thursday.
Given the uncertainty over the proposed travel restrictions, “we strongly believe that our students should not be placed into these situations of potentially being turned away at the border,” Malloy said.
The board’s plan — approved unanimously by trustees at a board meeting late Wednesday night — was to strike a balance between ensuring safety and inclusion for students, without causing financial loss and disappointment by cancelling the spring trips kids had planned and fundraised for over many months.
You may remember that earlier this month the Girl Guides of Canada, essentially their version of the Girl Scouts, issued a statement saying that THEY would no longer be planning trips across the Southern border either.
I guess that is what happens when you suddenly become isolationists. People start to isolate you.
Lol. Groups trying to make political statements mean little.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we look at the numbers that mean something. Do you thing the Canadians that travel south to buy goods across the border has slowed at all? Yeah, definitely not.
All I know is what friends tell me: they are not going (from Canada) to America until the Trump regime is gone. And are mad as hell, and don't feel safe with that goon thrashing about.
DeleteNot only Canadians are boycotting US. European travel down 12% already.
DeleteAsk N Carolina what a travel ban does.
I can envision a Canadian student of middle eastern descent having problems entering the US. I am sure the "shoppers" coming to US are very "white".
DeleteCanadiens decided we have enough real loonies in the USA already, and that they will keep themselves and their loonies (money) at home?
DeleteWell 2:07,you understand little about economics. SOme of those folks are Nexus crossers, but large #'s of those were revoked by Herr Drumpf. It has much more to do with the Canadians $'s strength. Make the economics less of a difference and Canadians will be nationalistic too, making their purchases locally.
DeleteWeak dollar started it, T.RUmp will finish it. And Canada will also reap the international tourism dollars from other countries who won't go to the US. https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2017/02/14/trump-ban-causes-tourism-drop-and-industry-fears-lasting-effect/yzMAVzeLvqywP8gEekoFsL/story.html
DeleteTheresa, you are very sheltered, aren't you? Everyone likes a bargain.
DeleteNot a statement at all--when you've got a bunch of kids on a bus, you can't afford to have some of them left at the border, unattended, because of their religion or their last name.
Delete@ 2:07 AM
DeleteLOL you have no idea what in the hell you are writing about, obviously you don’t live on the border. I DO. We have a lot of people that cross the border both ways, everyday for WORK, whether you like it or not.
Windsor is no longer allowing school trips into Michigan.
Henry Ford Hospital is having problems because their nurses with LEGAL VISAS are being stopped at the border and can’t get to work.
As for shopping, that depends on the exchange rate, it goes both ways, we go shopping in Canada when the dollar is strong and visa versa.
By the way your statement "groups making political statements mean little" is really ignorant, case in point is the NRA.
Our number one non-immigrant tourists are....Mexicans, to the tune of about 20 million a year.
DeleteProbably mostly for shopping in the southern states and some day and weekend trips to visit relatives.
That is most certainly going to decline.
Tourism is a big industry and employs a LOT Of people and provides a LOT of jobs.
Trump is threatening this country's tourism.
There is a Disneyland in France, Japan, Hong Kong and China.
Perhaps those tourists from Malaysia or the Phillipines will choose to go to Japan instead. Those families from India will choose France over Florida.
The number one decision on international tourism is SAFETY, not sites. People will travel where they feel safe.
We will lose tourists because they will no longer feel safe traveling in the U.S.
We will also lose some tourists because of the U.S. policy on Immigrants, Climate Change, or just generally because Trump insults someone and they hate him and will refuse to come to his country.
But Mexicans are our number one tourists and Trump has insulted them enough I'm sure some are saying fuck you I'm not spending any of my money in the U.S. until Trump is gone. A lot? No. But some. Some for other reasons.
A small percentage of tourists from each country deciding against travel in the U.S. adds up.
It will be interesting to see exactly what the numbers will be.
Protectionist retaliation works both ways.
Trumpdumb: 1
ReplyDeleteUS travel income dollars: 0
Nobody should be exposed to this con job of treason and espionage. This criminal act defies reality and commonsense. There must be some REAL lack of brains in the rump. Old pooty is quite the epic asswipe. Trying to pull off a con job with boris ugly operatives, lousy actors and liars is stinken the place up like a swamp. Resign the swines and over turn and throw citizen united off the cliff. Lousy operative usa citizens and liars do not belong in the peoples buildings.
ReplyDeleteOh boris how is palin and McCain taking this? Conjob has not been seen or heard from and the easter bunny does not know what to do? Gee comey where is sheriff nano nano and tard patrol?
ReplyDeleteDid you go to school? Learn any grammar? any grammar at all? Spelling? How to use commas? Could you please apply it to your posts? -- 4:08, 4:01.
DeleteDaily tRUMP WTF:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/germany-dismisses-white-houses-intimidating-300bn-bill-for-defence-dl7dk629k
"Donald Trump handed the German chancellor Angela Merkel a bill — thought to be for more than £300bn — for money her country “owed” Nato for defending it when they met last weekend, German government sources have revealed.
The bill — handed over during private talks in Washington — was described as “outrageous” by one German minister.
“The concept behind putting out such demands is to intimidate the other side, but the chancellor took it calmly and will not respond to such provocations,” the minister said."
Words fail.
Too bad Angela did not open it, read it, and proceed to tear it up in front of T.rump, put the shards back into the envelope and ask him to dispose of his litter on the way out.
DeleteAngela is much more polite than I am.
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/03/26/americas-idiot-president-invoice-germany-money-owe-nato.html
Delete"The story confirms that Trump is clueless about how treaties work"
Anyone think this will have no effect on whether German tourists decide to vacation in the U.S. or maybe go to France or Italy instead?
Delete2:07 AM - The Toronto District School Board and the Girls Scouts of Canada are simply being responsible. They cannot risk any child being left at the border unable to enter the U.S. because of their country of origin or any other reasons cited by U.S. border agents.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there are many other Canadians, myself included, who are choosing not to travel to the U.S. and not to buy U.S. products because they do not agree with the policies of the Trump administration. You probably will tell us that we would not be welcomed in any case as I've read in some comment sections. Fine by us but think for a moment of the harm that the U.S. travel ban will do to your country's tourism industry. What company could risk holding its annual convention in your country and risk having some of its employees refused entrance because of their country of origin. Elections and policies have consequences.
Excellent reply, Martha. I look forward to becoming a permanent resident of your country as soon as I can. Have made a trip to explore options and employment. I've had it with the US idiocracy. The feelings of safety, diversity and welcome on my recent trip to Toronto are unparalleled by anything in the US in the last 30 years. And as a middle aged white, I have not exactly been on the receiving end of direct animosity in the US that minorities must feel.
DeleteI live in Toronto. We have a community of people here from every ethnic background. We are hearing reports of people travelling with Canadian passports, some even born in Canada, who are having trouble at the border. Trump has alienated so many groups that naturally people are concerned that anyone could be singled out.
DeleteI personally know of several people that are travelling to Mexico for a wedding and are scheduling direct flights with no stop in the USA. Why take a chance of delays or problems? And why support what is happening in Trump's America?
8:19 AM - I agree with your observations. Why take any chances.
DeleteAnd 7:26 AM - You are very welcome to our country.
While I realize that the kids/schools raised money for this trip, I'm sure the funds can be diverted to a place in Canada that would be as travel-worthy as the unknown destination in the US. I sure understand why the decision is being made as no child should face mindless discrimination at the border of the "free" country south of Canada.
ReplyDelete1smartcanerican
Also, tourists are now choosing to go to Canada instead of America. It will be interesting to hear the stats on this at the end of summer and fall.
ReplyDeleteThis is just the tip of the iceberg. This is an indication of what is going to happen in the U.S. for the next four years.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is we have no idea how Despot Trump is going to effect the U.S. tourism economy. If Canada is any indication, it isn't going to be good. Those states which rely heavily on tourism may see their numbers drop this year. They can call it an aberration, but if it happens again in 2018 and 2019, they'll know who is responsible.
Fact is that people around the world don't announce their plans publicly like the Toronto school system. That doesn't mean they don't have the same concerns.
You might think tourists from France or Japan won't be bothered, not necessarily. First, there are muslim families living in every country and they like to take vacations too. They would rather go to countries where they'll feel safe and the U.S. is no longer one of them. Then you will have "liberals" who will "vote with their wallets" just like we do. They will refuse to come to the U.S. because of the country's policies on immigrants or climate change or simply because they think Trump is an idiot and don't want to interact with a public stupid enough to put him in the White House.
Nope, I think the Toronto school system is simply the canary in the coal mine. They are an indication that tourism will be down in the U.S. and not just because of Trump's immigration policy. It is more like Trump's Nazi attitude. He talks hate and incites violence. People who are not white and christian simply will not feel safe traveling to this country. (Remember the Indian man shot in a bar? "Get out of my country!") Tourists have no reason to believe they won't be targeted just because they are just tourists visiting for a week or two.
I don't think major companies like Disney have anything to fear. They'll make a profit even if numbers in their parks might be a little down this year. (Plus people can go to France, Japan, Hong Kong or China.)
But smaller states that enjoy international tourism might notice a drop this year. A bigger drop next year and I think we can point to the cause. Our Hater in Chief.
"The U.S. travel and tourism industry generated nearly $1.6 trillion in economic output in 2015, supporting 7.6 million U.S. jobs."
"Expenditures by international visitors in the United States totaled $246.2 billion in 2015, yielding a $97.9 billion trade surplus for the year. According to U.S. Department of Commerce projections, international travel to the United States should grow by 3 percent annually through 2021. The United States leads the world in international travel and tourism exports and ranks second in terms of total visitation."
And when it doesn't grow by the projected 3%? And we we drop from #1?
Canada is only #2 on the most international tourists we host.
Who is #1? Mexico with almost 2 MILLION tourists. (Real tourists. Not immigrants.)
It will be interesting to see the numbers. How far below the 2015 69 MILLION tourists the U.S. will sink. I'll tell you one thing. When you decide to travel internationally you might be thinking of wonderful things you'd like to see and do, but the first thing you think of is SAFETY. I'll love to see the pyramids but I never will because Egypt will never be safe enough during my lifetime. I'm not sure I'll ever go to Northern Ireland. I'm sure plenty of tourists would love to visit Disney World but some will decide that Disney France is much safer for them than Disney "stand your ground" redneck World. Georgia? Alabama? North Carolina? Forget it. I'm white and even *I* won't go there.
I guess we'll know who to blame. And it won't be Obama.
I read that students on spring break are chanting: “build that wall”. Ugly Americans
DeleteI sure hope the Mexicans are charging double the hotel rate and those students had better be careful what they eat and drink, I am sure Mexican wait staff has heard about spitting in the food.
They'll be lucky if spit is all they have to fear.
DeleteExcellent comment mlaiuppa.
Delete