Canadians are choosing spring getaways closer to home as U.S. travel interest declines

With more Canadians vacationing at home, a fleeting floral attraction on P.E.I. is drawing visitors during peak bloom season. Maria Sarrouh reports.

BELFAST, P.E.I. – Rows of purple, red and yellow tulips are in full bloom on eastern P.E.I., just as more Canadians look for spring getaways within the country.

For a few weeks each spring, the fields at Belfast Tulips become a stop that some stumble into, and others plan around.

“We just woke up really early this morning to come here,” said Shreya Khanal, who was visiting from Moncton, N.B., with a friend.

Many of the people roaming the rows Wednesday morning were from the Maritimes, including Kyle Latchman and Skye Felicidario from Saint John, N.B.

“We came to experience something we’ve never experienced before,” Latchman said.

“There’s nothing like it where we’re from,” added Felicidario.

Some came from farther away. Tracy Morrell, who was visiting from Calgary, said touring the Island made sense this year.

“We just wanted to travel within Canada,” Morrell said. “We don’t want to travel outside of Canada right now.”

That choice is showing up in the numbers.

Leger’s latest travel trends report found domestic tourism is still gaining momentum, as interest in U.S. trips continues to decline.

Among Canadians planning a spring vacation, 67 per cent said they expected to stay within the country, up from 49 per cent last year. Just 14 per cent said they planned to travel to the U.S., compared with 21 per cent in both 2025 and 2024.

Amanda Beaton, who works in marketing and social media at Belfast Tulips, said the farm is seeing people from both sides of the border.

“We’re getting a lot more visitors from the mainland, definitely around Atlantic Canada,” Beaton said. “I’ve met quite a few people myself from the United States. People from as far as Florida are arriving.”

For some locals, the fields are becoming a familiar backdrop in their family albums.

“Last year we took some pregnancy photos, so this year I wanted to take some photos with the new baby,” said Stephanie Chapman, who was rolling a stroller through the rows.

Islander Chelsea Farrell said she had been wanting to visit for years.

“It’s really awesome to be here,” Farrell said.

Her friend, Tessa Degraaff, also lives on the Island, though she is originally from the Netherlands.

“I might be from the Netherlands, but I’ve actually never visited a tulip field before,” Degraaff said.

A chillier spring has stretched the season, said owner-operator and farmer Rose Viaene.

“It started out pretty dry until we got some rain, and now it’s turned cold,” she said.

Belfast Tulips expects to stay open through the weekend, and possibly part of next week, depending on conditions.