Canadians skipping US trips
Millions of Canadians have reportedly avoided trips to the US since President Trump took office in 2025, with many rerouting to Mexico or overseas amid discomfort over political rhetoric and tariff threats — a major travel trend story flagged this week . The shift is altering travel flows and is being cited as a geopolitical influence on personal tourism choices across North America .
Statistics Canada reported that Canadian-resident return trips from the United States by air fell 17.6% year-over-year in February 2026 (statcan.gc.ca), and it recorded 39 million Canadian-resident trips to the U.S. in 2024 as a pre-shift baseline. (statcan.gc.ca) A Longwoods International tracking study found 63% of Canadian travellers said they were less likely to visit the U.S. because of U.S. policy and politics in its August 2025 update (longwoods-intl.com), while an Abacus Data poll from March 2025 reported 62% of Canadians planned to avoid the U.S. for at least a year. (abacusdata.ca) Tourism Economics projected travel from Canada could drop about 20% in 2025, estimating a $3.4 billion revenue loss to the U.S. market relative to the prior year (politico.com), and U.S. Commerce Department figures showed total foreign visits to the U.S. were down roughly 5.4% through November 2025 (about 4 million fewer visits). (usatoday.com) Industry trackers reported a measurable pivot: the Conference Board’s Outbound Canada update noted transborder trips were down 17.7% in early 2025 while overseas activity rose about 6.6% over the same period (travelpress.com), and U.S. and Canadian tourism boards have shifted marketing tactics in response, according to NBC reporting. (nbcnews.com) Public-attitude metrics show safety and border-policy concerns driving choices: an Angus Reid survey found 70% of respondents said they’d be uncomfortable travelling to the U.S. that winter and 47% called new U.S. fingerprint rules “invasive.” (angusreid.org) Longwoods’ polling also attributed 80% of politically influenced travellers’ aversion to U.S. tariffs and 71% to political statements from U.S. leaders. (longwoods-intl.com) Consumer-behaviour snapshots show substitution rather than travel drop-off overall: a Blue Cross–linked survey reported 95% of Canadians avoiding U.S. travel still planned trips to other destinations such as Mexico or the Caribbean (money.ca), and tourism analytics tracking shows increased bookings to Mexico and other overseas markets as transborder volumes fell. (tourismanalytics.com)
