Canadians cut their US travel by a quarter last year. They're not rushing back.
Canadians cut travel to the US by 25.4% in 2025, Statistics Canada says, as many shifted trips home, to Europe, and to Asia.
Canadians slashed their trips to the United States by a quarter last year, according to Statistics Canada. The number of Canadians returning home from US trips dropped 25.4% in 2025, compared to the previous year. Despite recent improvements in US leisure bookings, July saw a 39% decline compared to 2024. The decline stems from an escalation in the US-Canada trade war.
Canadian residents made 5.5 million trips to the US in the first quarter of 2026, a 10.6% decrease from the same period in 2025. This marks the deepest and most sustained non-pandemic decline in travel history, with 11 consecutive months of year-over-year falls. The trade dispute began with President Trump's imposition of tariffs on Canada and Mexico in early 2025, sparking calls for Canadians to boycott US goods and vacations.
The trade talks have recently broken down, and new 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian imports took effect on Saturday. Canada has retaliated with dollar-for-dollar tariffs on 700 US products starting September 8. Experts suggest the renewed tensions could hinder a rapid recovery, indicating a broader shift in Canadian travel sentiment and habits.
Domestic travel rose by 5 million visits in 2025, while overseas trips increased by 1.3 million, with visits to Europe up 13.6% and to Asia by 16.7%. The economic fallout for the US includes a 21.5% decline in leisure trips to the US, a $3.3 billion drop in Canadian spending on US trips, and a 9% decline in family-related US visits.
Losing a Canadian visitor for one season translates to a significant revenue and market-share problem for US tourism businesses.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
