Canadian tourism plummet hits home

10:39 a.m. Aug. 28, 2025

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

For decades, Canada has been the United States’ most reliable source of international tourists. But a sharp downturn in 2025 signals that the long-standing travel relationship between the two neighbors is under strain.

Between 2017 and 2019, Canadians accounted for more than a quarter of all international arrivals to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) data show:

• 2017: 20.5 million Canadian arrivals out of 76.9 million total international visitors (26.6%).
• 2018: 21.2 million out of 79.6 million (26.6%).
• 2019: 20.7 million out of 79.3 million (26.1%).

Even after the pandemic disrupted global travel, Canada’s position remained strong. In the recovery years, Canadians once again made up a substantial portion of inbound travelers:

• 2022: 14.7 million Canadian arrivals out of 50.8 million total (28.9%).
• 2023: 16.8 million out of 66.5 million (25.2%).
• 2024: 19.6 million out of 72.4 million (27.1%).

By late 2024, Canada remained the single largest source of international visitors to the U.S., consistently accounting for one in every four tourists.

A Sudden Reversal in 2025

That trendline broke abruptly in early 2025. Since February, Canadian travel to the U.S. has plummeted, driven by a combination of political, economic, and social pressures.

Political Tensions and Boycott Sentiment
The decisive factor has been a wave of political backlash. The Trump administration’s early-2025 tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and autos – coupled with inflammatory rhetoric that many Canadians viewed as dismissive of their sovereignty (“51st state?”) – ignited a grassroots boycott movement. Polling this spring found more than half of Canadians were deliberately avoiding U.S. trips as a form of protest.

Economic Pressures
A weaker Canadian dollar has compounded the issue. With the U.S. dollar trading at a steep premium, Canadians face costs that are 25-30% higher for hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Combined with inflation at home, many travelers are redirecting vacations toward domestic destinations such as Banff, Prince Edward Island, and Vancouver Island, or choosing international options where their dollar stretches further, like Mexico or Portugal.

Border Scrutiny and Safety Concerns
Finally, Canadians increasingly report feeling unwelcome at the border. Expanded screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection – including digital device searches and extended questioning – has fed perceptions that crossing is stressful or unsafe. Recent surveys show more than half of Canadians say they no longer feel welcome traveling in the United States.

Canadian visitors to the U.S. decreased in February 2025 compared to February 2024, with Statistics Canada reporting a 17.7% drop in total return trips to the U.S. for the month.

In May, the number of Canadian visitors to the U.S. decreased by 31.9% year-over-year.

The trend aligned with data showing a nearly 17% decrease in Canadian visits to the U.S. for the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

According to the most recent available data, Canadian visitors also experienced a steep decline in July 2025 compared to July 2024, with return trips by land and sea decreasing by 36.9% and air trips falling by 25.8%.

Broader Implications

For U.S. tourism businesses, the sudden Canadian retreat poses a serious challenge. Canadians have historically supplied not only the largest volume of visitors but also a steady stream of repeat customers.

If the current boycott sentiment and economic pressures persist, the loss could reshape inbound tourism numbers for 2025. With Canada traditionally supplying more than a quarter of all international tourists, even a modest contraction translates to millions fewer visitors.

Whether this downturn proves temporary or long-lasting will depend on political and economic developments in both countries. For now, the data paint a stark picture. After years of leading the U.S. inbound market, Canadian travelers are voting with their wallets and passports, and the United States is no longer their default destination of choice.

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