Declining numbers of Canadians heading to the U.S. for vacation could mean an even better tourism season for attractions such as Mādahòkì Farm, which had already begun to cater to more domestic travellers.
This summer, Canadian tourists are expected to avoid transborder travel as sentiment toward the U.S. has soured amid trade disputes. In a report released last month, Statistics Canada said 39 million Canadian residents travelled to the U.S. in 2024, representing 75 per cent of international travel, but said that cross-border trips by car have “fallen sharply” since the start of 2025, with five consecutive months of steep year-over-year declines. It’s the first time numbers have fallen since 2021, when pandemic restrictions limited travel, the report added.
At Mādahòkì, Trina Mather-Simard, founder and CEO of Indigenous experiences, said she’s noticed this trend over the past few years. Though the international market remains strong, the farm is hosting more visitors from across Canada. Plus, she’s noticed an increase in local visitors.
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“We’ve been operating mostly focused on group experiences,” she said. “Groups would come in for a meal, come for a powwow, maybe create a craft. But now, we’re starting to see more local families.”
Before establishing its 164-acre Nepean farm in 2021, Mādahòkì spent more than 20 years offering Indigenous cultural programming and immersive experiences on Victoria Island in the Ottawa River. At the time, the majority of visitors were from outside of Canada, said Mather-Simard.
“Back when we started, Aboriginal tourism was a fairly new industry,” Mather-Simard told OBJ. “There were only a few of us popping up at tourism trade shows. At the time, there was a lot of focus and interest in what Indigenous tourism held for international tourists.”
From the 1990s through the early 2000s, she said the farm mostly hosted tourists visiting from Europe, Asia and Australia. In more recent years, that trend has changed.
“To me, one of the most gratifying parts of Indigenous tourism — and I think as a result of the calls to action for reconciliation — we now see more Canadian visitors at our experiences than we do international,” said Mather-Simard. “It’s something I’ve really noticed over the last five years. To me, that says a lot about what’s important.”
The organization recently received funding from local and provincial groups such as Ottawa Tourism, Ontario Trillium Foundation and FedDev Ontario’s Tourism Growth Program.
Mather-Simard said that, to date, the farm has focused on large group programming, including bus tours, corporate retreats and school groups. But now, with changing visitor patterns, it’s launching new visitor experiences, including programming for individuals and small groups like families.
The programming is year-round and will allow visitors to tour the farm, taste Indigenous foods and check out the on-site marketplace. Visitors can also participate in Mishtadim, an equine-assisted learning experience with the Ojibwe spirit horses, Canada’s only breed of Indigenous horse.
Unlike many Ottawa tourism destinations that target summer or winter travellers, Mādahòkì Farm sees the most visitors in the off-seasons of fall and spring.
“We’re doing a lot of group tours, school, corporate cross-cultural learning,” Mather-Simard said. “I think it’s the markets we deal with. June is National Indigenous History Month and now we have September with national reconciliation. I think those drive a lot of our books.”
With the new programming, she said the farm is working toward solidifying itself as a year-round tourism destination.
“We’ve been here since 2021 and we’re seeing incredible growth year after year and this year is no different,” she said. “That’s part of why we’re opening this visitor experience, to balance out and have programming to welcome people throughout the year. We’re creating a year-round experience.”
