Canadian tourism to US drops
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The gist
Canadian visits to U.S. metro areas fell 42% year-over-year, per University of Toronto research.
Trade tensions and boycott calls are reshaping cross-border tourism, hurting U.S. destinations.
Background
Canadian tourism to the U.S. has dropped sharply since 2025, driven by trade tensions, tariffs, and political friction under the Trump administration. Calls to boycott U.S. travel and goods have prompted many Canadians to vacation elsewhere. The decline is significant for U.S. states like Florida, New York, and Nevada, which rely heavily on Canadian visitors.
How it unfolded
- 2025Canadian travel to the U.S. fell 25% last year, with Statistics Canada reporting an 11-month streak of year-over-year declines in return trips, the longest on record.
- May 2026University of Toronto research found a 42% year-over-year median decline in Canadian visits to U.S. metropolitan areas.
- Jul 22, 2026Statistics Canada reported that return border crossings from the U.S. in early 2026 were at levels similar to the end of 2025, signaling a persistent shift away from the U.S.
- Aug 25, 2026Reports highlight that New York, Florida, and Nevada see the biggest drops, with Las Vegas experiencing an 18% decline in Canadian visits in fiscal 2025.
- Aug 27, 2026Florida data shows 721,000 Canadian visitors in Q2 2026, down 4.2% from Q2 2025; first-half 2026 visits down 13.9%.
- Aug 30, 2026Renewed trade war threats threaten tourism recovery, with states like Iowa, Wisconsin, and California launching marketing campaigns to attract Canadians.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Statistics Canada reports a persistent shift away from the U.S. in Canadian travel preferences, with the deepest sustained decline on record.
- Industry
- Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill says the Canadian market is 'very, very important' and the city is offering deals to lure back visitors.
- Public
- Canadian college student Emily Gasle says, 'Not trusting, 100 percent... because of the tariffs and recent news, obviously there's more of negative feelings.'
- Business
- Florida business owner Benny Magro notes, 'In general, our tourism is mostly Canadian, northeastern... we have to adjust.'
Still unverified
Some reports attribute the decline to political friction and boycott calls, but exact causation is not fully established.