Ever since the global trade wars began earlier this year along with a pitch to absorb Canada as the 51^st state, northwest Montana residents have wondered if our northern neighbors will still want to come visit south of the border as tensions rise.

At the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon earlier this week, Discover Kalispell Director Diane Medler confirmed Canadians are in fact taking their business elsewhere. U.S.-Canada border crossings are already seeing a year-over-year decline of 22% from February through April and recent survey data revealed 60% of Canadians are actively choosing to avoid U.S. travel.

Playfully known as “Canada’s Tijuana,” Whitefish has been a hot destination for Canadians since the 1980s, but the international visitation spiked in the early 2010s as Alberta’s oil economy remained strong during the Great Recession. Canadians traveled to northwest Montana to stretch their dollar, which many Flathead Valley residents would notice at the Whitefish bars where partying Albertans could be seen celebrating cheap booze in plain view.

In a Glacier Park Collection promo written by a Canadian who grew up vacationing in Whitefish, the author wrote about her “soft spot” for her “south-of-the-border neighbour.” In “Six Reasons Albertans Love Whitefish,” she raves about Glacier National Park, Whitefish Mountain Resort – and cheap beer.

“No matter what rate the Canadian dollar is at, you can bet on cheap, delicious Montana beer.”

While many Canadians will continue to travel south to visit their little Tijuana, Medler says tourism experts hope international travel losses will be filled with domestic tourism. Recent data shows that travelers are weary of inflation and economic uncertainty, but that could also mean tourists are pivoting from lavish vacations to more fiscally responsible destinations.

Reports reveal that 55% of American travelers said they are “greatly impacted” by concerns about inflation and nearly 70% expect to change their travel behavior by cutting back on trips, choosing more affordable locations and driving instead of flying. Recent data also shows that 67% of Flathead Valley visitors already arrive by car while other reports imply that travelers plan to take shorter trips this summer compared to last year, which the Wall Street Journal has dubbed as a “good-enough” vacation.

So, that begs the question – will swarms of Americans abandon their Euro trips for road trips to Glacier National Park (pictured above) in exchange for a cheaper, good-enough vacation? Time will tell. I’m Maggie Dresser, here with today’s good-enough Daily Roundup.

In her latest column, Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger Julie Laing shares her recipe for cheesy wilted arugula penne. Check it out here.