The downturn in Canadian trips to the United States by both road and air continued in May for the fifth consecutive month since US President Donald Trump took office. Trump’s remarks about annexing the US’s northern neighbour and his trade tariff threats triggered an immediate boycott by Canadians, who represent around 25% of all tourists to the States – an avoidance policy that can now be seen as far more than a kneejerk reaction.
Compared to May 2024, road trips by Canadians crossing the US border in May 2025 fell by 38%, new data from Statistics Canada reveal. And by air, the year-on-year decline was 24%. Those figures follow percentage declines in the double digits in both March and April.
Europeans have shown themselves similarly reluctant to spend their holiday budget visiting Trump’s America. While some commentators note the broader context of worldwide financial uncertainty caused by Trump’s trade “negotiations”, as well as poor exchange rates for many would-be visitors to the US, there are clear signs that people are still travelling – but simply prefer to go elsewhere.
Over half of Canadians surveyed by Leger Marketing, are planning to undertake leisure travel in 2025, which is in fact an 8% increase on last year’s numbers. But just 10% of them want to go to the US, a drop of 13%. What’s more, return air tickets to the US have slumped to under half a million (488,800), whereas return trips from alternative overseas destinations rose just under 10%, to 1.1 million.
Arizona, Florida, and Las Vegas are among the major losers in the equation, while one of the main beneficiaries of the change in sentiment is Canada itself, with 77% of Canadians planning a domestic holiday – an uptick of 7%. That’s in line with calls from various Canadian politicians who urged their fellow citizens to spend their money at home this year amid the growing tensions with nextdoor.
Asia and Australia have also gained Canadian holidaymakers, according to Air Canada, which has adjusted its schedules to cater to the shifts in demand. Nonetheless, the national carrier, like some other Canadian firms, has been hoist by its own petard. Air Canada is looking at a less profitable year than predicted and has downgraded its financial forecasts in response.
The outlook is even more grim for the US though, where the National Travel Association warned in February of 140,000 potential job losses and a $2.1 billion drop in spending if Canadian visits fell even 10%. The negative impact could be at least double that if Canadian resolve does not falter – something it shows no sign of yet.
