Are Canadian tourists missing from this year's Motorcycle Week?

LACONIA — Anyone who felt this year’s Laconia Motorcycle Week is quieter than others is not alone. After talking with local business leaders and from his own experience, the event's Executive Director Charlie St. Clair said he's seen fewer motorcyclists, especially from Canada.

“There’s between 75% to 80% less Canadians for Motorcycle Week this year,” he said.

With recent tariffs on Canadian goods and comments from President Donald Trump about making Canada the 51st state, St. Clair thinks those both contribute to the discrepancy.

“The message from the White House has been anti-Canadian government, anti-sovereignty for Canada, and people resent that,” St. Clair said. “If the shoe was on the other foot, many people in this country would do the same thing, or feel the same way.”

Laconia Motorcycle Week Association Vice President Phil Warren has also seen less Canadian visitors. Warren is the current Berlin city manager, and former Meredith town manager. He thinks the issue is plain to see.

“I commute from Meredith to Berlin a couple of times a week, and usually on Motorcycle Week, all of those hotels are chock full the beginning of Motorcycle Week with Quebec license plates,” he said. “I haven't seen a lot.”

But reservations for local stays may indicate otherwise. Robert Ames, owner of Half Moon Enterprises in the Weirs and a board member for the rally, agreed there have been fewer motorcyclists in general this year. And while he had zero Canadian visitors out of his 36 rooms as of Friday morning, he only had two reservations from Canadian customers at this time last year. While it’s certainly a difference, he’s unconvinced Canadians are the only factor in the decline. He cited the weather, but also something a little simpler.

“It could be more just fatigue, and people are not — for the 99th, 100th, and 101st — just as excited for the 102nd,” he said.

José DeNatos, owner of the Channel Waterfront Cottages in the Weirs, has not seen a decline in his Canadian motorcyclist visitors. On the first weekend, eight people from New Brunswick, came down, as they do year after year, as well as a few other guests from Ottawa. DeNatos suggested there may have been confusion in the dates this year, as normally Laconia Motorcycle Week ends on Father’s Day Weekend, as opposed to starting on it, as it did this year.

“A lot of Canadians were here the first weekend thinking that it ended,” he said. “They just kind of jump on their bikes and go without reservations, without plans, and I think that may have happened with some of it.”

There are indicators that across the state of New Hampshire, general Canadian tourism is down. Greg Keeler, marketing and communication director for NH State Parks, said data as of June 19, shows Canadian guest reservations for the state’s campgrounds are down 70% compared to this time last year, whereas reservations from visitors from other locations stayed on par with last year’s numbers. Canadians are a small number of visitors, only amounting to about 5%-10% of reservations, so it is unclear what the effect will be.

“We know that less Canadians have been making reservations. We just don't know if that's going to have an effect yet,” Keeler said. “We probably won't know until later in the season, or at the end of the season.”

If the decline of Canadian visitors continues, Keeler said park staff will focus more of their efforts on marketing locally.

Of the over 250,000 motorcyclists who visit the Lakes Region for Laconia Motorcycle Week, only a few thousand are from Canada. But St. Clair emphasized even if 50 motorcyclists didn’t show up this year, that is a lot of money for the local economy to lose.

“The normal amount of money somebody spends at this rally is $800 to $1,000,” St. Clair, who serves Laconia as a Democrat in the Statehouse, said. “You check the hotel rates around here, you see what they're paying for everything else, it adds up.”

Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce President Karmen Gifford said while she doesn’t have specific data on how many tourists came for the rally, she attended the Outdoor Adventure Show expo, a tourism event in Montreal at the end of March. During her time there, she heard many people talk about passing on visiting the U.S. this year, saying they would instead travel to other locations, or within their own country. Gifford made it known she welcomes all Canadians to enjoy the Lakes Region.

“We love the Canadians. We love to have them here. They come year after year, and they're our neighbors,” she said. “They're always welcome.”