Canadian travel to the U.S. plummets — but Americans are staying home, too

John Paul Tasker · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 2:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 10

It's not conscionable Canadians who are holding backmost connected cross-border question amid a U.S. commercialized warfare that has soured bilateral relations.

The fig of Americans coming to Canada is besides dropping off. New information published by Statistics Canada Thursday shows a 10.4 per cent diminution successful U.S. nonmigratory trips by automobile successful June — a steeper driblet than what was registered the period before.

According to the national agency, 1.4 cardinal Americans made the travel northbound by car past month, compared to astir 1.56 cardinal who did the aforesaid past year. That diminution has governmental and concern leaders connected the Canadian broadside of the 49th parallel concerned given however overmuch these visitors walk erstwhile they come.

Last year, American visitors contributed a grounds $15 cardinal to the economy.

There is simply a metallic lining, though: immoderate tourer destinations are reporting an uptick successful home and non-U.S. planetary travellers, which, successful immoderate instances, is making up for the driblet successful American spending.

What's evident from the information is that Canadian trips to the U.S. proceed to plummet.

The fig of Canadians returning from trips to the U.S. by aerial fell 22.1 per cent successful June compared with the aforesaid period 1 twelvemonth earlier, according to StatsCan. Canadian-resident instrumentality trips by automobile dropped by an eye-popping 33.1 per cent.

Still, a statistically important fig of U.S. residents are besides choosing to defer question to Canada.

Federal information shows the fig of American-plated autos coming to Canada has been sliding since the onset of the commercialized dispute.

The twelvemonth was disconnected to a promising start, with much Americans coming up successful January than successful the aforesaid period the twelvemonth before.

But, successful February, things took a crook conscionable arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his 51st authorities rhetoric and slapped tariffs connected each imports, prompting a Canadian backlash, anthem booing and wounded feelings on some sides of the border.

The contiguous effect was a driblet successful cross-border postulation — with Canadians pulling backmost connected question successful a large mode and their American neighbours doing the same, but to a lesser extent.

The fig of American-plated cars crossing into Canada dropped by six per cent successful February, 4 per cent successful March, and 7 per cent successful April, according to a CBC News investigation of the data.

Niagara Falls, Ont., is peculiarly babelike connected American travellers, with arsenic galore arsenic 3 cardinal of them coming northbound to instrumentality successful the unofficial eighth satellite wonderment successful immoderate fixed year.

Figures from the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, which manages 3 borderline crossings successful the area, shows adjacent steeper declines than what has been reported elsewhere. Canada-bound trips by car fell by treble digits astatine antithetic points this twelvemonth astatine the heavy trafficked Rainbow Bridge.

On American Independence Day, for example, car postulation implicit that span to Canada dropped by 20 per cent this twelvemonth compared with 2024 — a peculiarly notable driblet fixed the holiday fell connected a Friday.

Northbound span postulation was disconnected importantly from past year's numbers each time past week, typically 1 of the busiest question periods given the Canada Day and Fourth of July celebrations autumn astatine astir the aforesaid time.

According to the Niagara Parks Commission, the Ontario bureau that oversees dozens of attractions, shops and restaurants successful the region, 42 per cent of its gross past twelvemonth came from Americans — astir the aforesaid arsenic what they pulled successful from Canadians.

Revenue from American travellers is disconnected by 9 per cent truthful acold this year, David Adames, the CEO of the Niagara Parks Commission, told CBC News successful an interview.

He doesn't cognize wherefore American tourism has dropped but helium said "geopolitical issues," "uncertainty from immoderate U.S. visitors and whether they consciousness welcome" could beryllium driving their decisions.

The bureau has ramped up its advertizing efforts successful the U.S.

"Our connection to them is, 'We've got awesome tourism experiences to stock with you. We're acceptable and consenting and capable to invited you here,'" Adames said.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa said determination has been a worrying diminution successful American visitors to his picturesque historical municipality a stone's propulsion from the U.S. — but the drop-off isn't catastrophic.

The municipality and surrounding country were the country of respective battles during the War of 1812, different epoch erstwhile bilateral relations were astatine a debased point.

The town's Shaw Festival Theatre, which typically brings successful astir 100,000 American attendees each season, has seen U.S. summons income driblet by astir 4 cent this year, a spokesperson said.

In an interview, Zalepa said immoderate U.S. visitors, who helium called "extremely important" to the town's tourism industry, person told him they bash consciousness "somewhat uncomfortable" coming to Canada fixed what's been going connected betwixt the 2 countries.

"There's a batch of sheepishness — that's what the American visitant is reasoning astir oregon contemplating arsenic they marque a travel to Canada," helium said.

But helium says those who bash travel spot they person thing to interest about.

"If we person immoderate differences of opinion, I say, 'Let's enactment that aside.' The American visitant is precise invited here," helium said.

Amid the American drop-off, non-U.S. planetary visitors are coming to the Niagara portion much than accustomed — a imaginable motion that immoderate overseas tourists are avoiding the U.S. and coming to Canada alternatively this summer.

Adames said there's been a notable uptick successful visitors from the U.K., France, Australia, South Korea, Spain, Italy and Mexico, which, erstwhile added together, offsets the American decline.

Zalepa said he's besides noticing an uptick successful overseas visitors who are skipping the U.S.

He said Canada should bash its level champion to support that inclination going adjacent aft the Trump animus fades.

"We astir apt should person been doing a amended occupation with that successful the past," helium said.

"It's a spot of a wake-up telephone and sometimes you request your neighbour to springiness you a nudge. The narration shakeup has got america reasoning about finding new markets."