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At a fee of $97 per person 16 and over, and $82 under age 16, a family of four (assuming the kids are under 16) would spend $358 just to enter Canada, Mexico, etc. The added fee will kill a lot of casual tourism, especially for day trippers to Vancouver and Niagara Falls, or who use southern Ontario as a short cut from Michigan to New York. In my own case, there is little in either Canada or Mexico sufficiently appealing to make that expenditure worthwhile. I would as soon save the money and go to Glacier or Yellowstone National Parks rather than Banff in Canada. The same would probably hold true for Canadians, who can fly to Commonwealth countries like the Bahamas and Bermuda without a passport for the same balmy climate that Florida has.

I agree with the need to tighten border controls. However, there will be an economic cost to the tourism industry.

I agree with the need to tighten border controls. However, there will be an economic cost to the tourism industry.

True enough. It is disturbing to see many Americans screaming for a National ID that "somebody else" pays for. A passport is good for 10 years (for travel outside the US) and even an expired passport is valid as proof of identity in the US, territories, and possessions. $9.70 per year is pretty inexpensive for I.D. A renewal is even cheaper, at $67.00 for ten years. People pay $12.00 a pop for TSA airport security fees. For me, that was over $1,000.00 last year. Tax deductible, of course ;)

However, there will be an economic cost to the tourism industry.

From your post, I gather you're talking about Canada's tourist industry.