It’s hardly unusual for Canadians to head south for vacation. That’s exactly why the slowdown of Canadian tourists to America has surprised quite a few people. Border numbers from Statistics Canada & U.S.-based tourism groups are showing clear declines. The trend hasn’t eased up.
Let’s find out exactly what’s going on.
Canadians have always been a huge share of U.S. visitors
It’s a fact that Canadians have been the largest group of tourists to America. The U.S. Travel Association found that Canadians made around 20.4 million visits & spent US$20.6 billion in 2024.
Canadian spending helped to support approximately 140,000 American jobs. Most of their experiences centered around quick getaways and day visits that became normal travel habits.
Car travel fell hard in spring and summer 2025
But everything changed in 2025. Return trips by car for Canadian residents fell to 1.2 million in April 2025, a 35.2% decrease from the previous April, according to Statistics Canada.
The decline continued in July. There was a 36.9% drop year-on-year, followed by a slight improvement in August with a 33.9% decline. Only 1.9 million Canadians made the trip.
Air travel from Canada to the U.S. also dropped
Air travel didn’t fare much better since Statistics Canada recorded a 14.0% year-on-year fall in April 2025 for return air trips from the U.S.
It only got worse in July with a 25.8% decrease & 25.4% fall in August. The decline of Canadian tourists visiting America appears to be across a wide range, rather than just one method of transportation.
The quarterly totals show the same direction
Statistics Canada also released its Q1 2025 results. It found that Canadians made 6.1 million America-bound trips, representing a 10.8% decrease from Q1 2024. Around 38.2% of these trips were day trips.
Spending was at CAD$5.7 billion. That may seem like a lot, but it’s 7.9% lower than previously, and the fall continued in July & August. Figures fell 32.4% and 29.7% in these months.
What U.S. tourism groups say about lost spending and jobs
One of the biggest effects of these falls is on American jobs. The U.S. Travel Association stated that a mere 10% reduction in Canadian visits would mean around 2 million fewer trips to America.
That’s around USD$2.1 billion & 14,000 American jobs lost. There could be even greater multi-billion-dollar losses should the decline become even greater.
Why Canadians have been traveling south less
So why are Canadians turning away? According to the Washington Post, tensions around American politics & tariffs are a large factor, along with organized boycott movements.
Let’s not forget that the Canadian dollar is also weaker. Many are going to Mexico or areas in the Caribbean. Some would rather go to Europe instead of making a trip across the border because it’s just too expensive.
Border areas and tourism towns feel it fastest
Some of the first victims of such changes are border towns. Many trips to the U.S. from Canada are day trips, and such vacations help to support gas stations & restaurants near major crossings.
A loss of Canadian tourism is a loss of a huge customer base for these places.
Travel the other way
But the situation doesn’t go both ways. American residents made around 3.3 million trips to Canada in July 2025, a fall of only 3.0%. The gap reduced even further in August to be a 1.4% decrease.
Research found that some months actually had more Americans visiting Canada than the other way around. Air arrivals rose by 1.3% in October.
What gets tracked next
Tourism agencies on both sides of the border are watching the monthly Frontier Counts. They’re paying close attention to car & air numbers.
Such releases will continue to shape things well into 2026 for countries on both sides of the border. Who knows what the future will hold?
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.