Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 27
Canadian Visits to US Plunge 25% to 29.1 Million as Trump Tariffs Sour Travel Sentiment
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 27

Canadian Visits to US Plunge 25% to 29.1 Million as Trump Tariffs Sour Travel Sentiment

2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 27

Summary

  • 29.1 million trips took Canadians to the United States in 2025, down from 39 million in 2024—a 25% drop that Statistics Canada said was the sharpest decline in more than 50 years outside the pandemic and post-9/11 periods.
  • Trump's return to office in early 2025 drove the shift, analysts said, citing new Canada tariffs, America First policies, his refusal to extend the USMCA this month, and repeated "51st state" remarks.
  • $2.3 billion less was spent by Canadians in the United States, while spending rose $2.5 billion elsewhere as the lost U.S. travel was almost entirely offset by more domestic and overseas trips.
  • Asia-bound trips rose 16.7% and Europe travel climbed 13.6%, showing the preference shift persisted into early 2026 even though the United States still drew two-thirds of Canadian foreign trips, down from three-quarters a year earlier.

Insights

With Canadian travel to the US plummeting, will booming domestic and overseas tourism markets permanently reshape North American vacation habits?
Considering the historic drop in cross-border visits, how are US border towns surviving the multi-billion dollar loss in Canadian tourism revenue?