This week I am thinking about people. Not tariffs, not trade deficits, not the political theater consuming Washington. People. The Canadian family that used to spend spring break in Arizona and is now booking Cancún instead. The Phoenix kid who has never had access to a real coaching staff until now. The Mexican and Canadian officials who are ready to talk about what actually connects our three nations when the politics settle down. This edition is about all of them.

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This week I am hosting a conversation that I believe is long overdue.

On the same week that Washington is consumed with tariffs, trade deficits, and the USMCA countdown, I will be sitting down with officials from Mexico and Canada for a focused discussion on one of the most powerful and underutilized levers of North American cooperation: tourism.

The event is called Tourism Talks, and you are invited to register and join us. Register here: https://app.glueup.com/event/tourism-talks-174529/

I have spent my career at the intersection of two nations. As the former mayor of a border city, as Chief of Staff at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and now as CEO of Intermestic Partners (www.intermestic.com), I have seen firsthand how people-to-people ties are the foundation on which trade relationships are built. Tourism is not soft diplomacy. It is an economic force, and right now it is being underplayed.

The timing matters. Canadians are redirecting travel away from the United States at historic rates. A recent survey found that 43% of Canadians report they are less likely to visit the U.S. in 2026, with many citing the current political climate as the reason. Travel And Tour World   That is a billion-dollar shift in consumer behavior happening in real time. The question is whether North American leaders are paying attention.

Tourism Talks is an important initiative by the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association, led by industry expert Kim Grace Sabow. If we can align the tourism strategies of Mexico and Canada with the communities and businesses that depend on cross-border visitors, we unlock something much larger than hotel occupancy rates. We unlock the full potential of North American leadership.

Register now and join the conversation: https://app.glueup.com/event/tourism-talks-174529/

Before you can appreciate why this conversation matters, you need to see the scale.

Tourism now accounts for 15% of Mexico's GDP, contributing $281 billion to the national economy, with international visitor spending reaching a record $36.6 billion and tourism-related employment totaling 7.9 million jobs, representing 13% of the country's entire workforce. Gringo Gazette

Read that again. One in every eight Mexican workers has a job connected to tourism.

Mexico is the world's sixth most visited country and the second most visited destination in the Americas. The Mexico-U.S. air corridor alone is the second-busiest in the world, with 4.6 million scheduled seats monthly. Swallow's Notes

And the growth trajectory is equally compelling. By 2035, Mexico's tourism sector is projected to contribute $362 billion to the economy, representing 16.2% of national GDP, with the sector expected to generate 9.4 million jobs, adding 1.5 million new positions over the coming decade. Hotel News Resource

These are not tourism industry numbers. They are economic sovereignty numbers. A nation that earns 15% of its GDP from welcoming visitors has a profound national interest in maintaining open, functional, and friendly cross-border relationships. That is the conversation I am opening this week at Tourism Talks.

The geopolitical shift currently reshaping North American tourism flows is one of the clearest signals we have of how political decisions produce economic consequences.

At the start of 2026, Canadian visitation to Los Cabos surged 10%, with Canadian travelers staying an average of 10.2 nights compared to 5.7 nights for American visitors. Their total in-destination spending per trip reached approximately $4,600 CAD, making each Canadian visitor worth roughly twice the economic value of an American counterpart. Travel And Tour World

Air Canada and WestJet responded by increasing seat capacity to Mexico by 18% for the summer of 2026, capturing incremental demand coming out of Ontario and Quebec. Travel And Tour World

This is not a coincidence. It is the tourism economy responding rationally to political signals. Canada is looking south, toward Mexico, at precisely the moment when I believe all three North American partners should be looking at each other with fresh eyes.

That is why Tourism Talks this week is not just an industry discussion. It is a strategic conversation about where the people-to-people relationships of North America go from here.

Join us: https://app.glueup.com/event/tourism-talks-174529/

On May 2 and 3, I am proud to be part of something special happening right here in Phoenix.

The Carlos Slim Foundation Acceso Latino Youth Basketball Clinic comes to the Boys and Girls Club of the Valley, Jerry Colangelo Branch, and it is completely free to every family who participates. Up to 150 young people ages 8 to 17 from Phoenix area communities will receive two full days of professional basketball coaching, position training, team building workshops, leadership development, and financial literacy programming through Capacitate para el Empleo.

This is not just a basketball camp. It is the flagship launch of the Liga Frontera de Oportunidades, a binational model designed to turn sport into a structured pathway toward certifications, scholarships, and college degrees. The top participants advance to a binational youth exchange with finals in Mexico later in 2026. ESPN Take Back Sports will be on site documenting and broadcasting youth success stories to a national audience.

Confirmed partners already include Chicanos por la Causa, the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association, and the Helios Foundation.

We still need sponsors, and we need them now. Opportunities start at $1,000 and go up to $25,000 for founding title naming rights. Every dollar goes directly to programming, equipment, coaching, and transportation for these kids. Your logo, your brand, and your commitment to this community will be on display in front of 150 families, national media, and a binational audience.

To become a sponsor or nominate a young person ages 8 to 17 to participate, contact us at [email protected].

"El deporte abre la puerta. La educación construye el camino."

Sport opens the door. Education builds the road.

Thanks for reading this edition of my newsletter! I'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts about what you think are the most critical issues that need to be addressed. Email me at [email protected] or connect with me on social media using the hashtag #Intermestic.

Stay Informed, Stay Connected!

Let's keep the conversation going!