'Know Before You Go' portal at risk as cross‑border travel remains down, Border Policy Research Institute warns

Dr. Laurie Trautman, director with the Border Policy Research Institute, told attendees that 2025 saw a sharp decline in cross‑border land travel, with the Penmore/Panwar corridor experiencing about a 20% drop overall and roughly 26% in the Cascadia area (Western British Columbia and Western Washington).

Trautman said the nature of crossings has shifted: fewer frequent short trips and a larger share of longer, tourism‑oriented visits among those who continue to cross. She also described business survey findings showing U.S. operators that once relied on Canadian customers have pivoted marketing to domestic audiences.

Trautman highlighted the collaborative planning that supported FIFA games held in Seattle and Vancouver — biweekly stakeholder coordination among tourism, emergency management, border and transportation agencies — and credited those relationships with enabling better border operations during the event.

One practical outcome of that coordination is the "Know Before You Go" portal: a government‑vetted, anonymous and free platform that explains documents and application timelines for travelers crossing into Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Trautman warned the portal lacks stable funding and could be lost without financial support. David Cowan and other industry speakers urged governments and partners to sustain the tool as part of regional resilience and traveler service.