By Moira A. McDonald and Ann-Kathrin McLean
Global attitudes towards the United States as a tourism destination are plunging. Travel pressures, exchange rate shifts and increasing economic uncertainty have all damaged the reputation of the American travel sector.
Canadian travellers are increasingly turning to domestic destinations instead of heading south. In July, Canada recorded its seventh consecutive month of declining travel by Canadians to the U.S..
Political tensions appear to be playing a role in this shift.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated remarks about wanting to annex Greenland and make Canada the “51st state” continue to strain relations between the U.S. and its allies.
For travellers, these tensions are one more deterrent for travelling to the U.S. About three-quarters of Canadians say Trump is “dangerous” and favourable views of the U.S. are at an all-time low.
Impact south of the border
This year, many Canadians reconsidered plans to visit the U.S. for business, leisure or school-related excursions, and some also boycotted American products.
A spring 2025 prediction by Tourism Economics anticipated a 20 per cent drop in Canadian travellers to the U.S.. The U.S. Travel Association trade group warned that even a 10 per cent decrease would translate to two million fewer visits and US$2.1 billion in lost spending.
By the end of the summer, year-to-date Canadian visitation numbers to the U.S. had dropped about 25 per cent, confirming that U.S.-inbound travel continues to under-perform.
These choices also reflect anxiety over border-related issues. Measures such as selected detainment and asking Canadians to register with Homeland Security if they plan to stay in the U.S. for 30 days or more has raised concerns among those accustomed to a less intrusive cross-border experience, with some even describing the U.S. as a “hostile state.”
U.S. border cities feel the pinch
The consequences of declining travel are being felt most acutely in U.S. border cities that rely heavily on Canadian visitors. Canadians are no longer “flooding the streets of Seattle,” but instead are supporting their own tourism economy.
Cities such as Buffalo, N.Y., hoped to entice Canadians with welcoming billboards and special incentives over the summer. But according to Patrick Kaler, CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, it was clear their efforts were not working, and the customary wave of Canadian visitors never arrived.
The ripple effects extend well beyond traditional tourism destinations as well. One New York golf club reported losing US$400,000 in Canadian revenue, for instance.
It’s not just Canadian travellers, either. While Canada has seen an increasing number of European visitors, the U.S. recorded a 17 per cent decline in European arrivals this past spring, also likely due to the Trump administration’s policies and general actions.
Canadian tourism grows stronger
While U.S.-bound travel declines, domestic tourism in Canada is on the uptick. Tourism is the country’s second-largest service export, bringing $31 billion into the country last year, according to Destination Canada.
Unlike traditional exports, where goods are shipped out of the country, tourism brings the world’s travellers to Canada — and increasingly, keeps Canadians exploring at home.
Canadians took a total of 77.4 million trips within Canada in the first quarter of 2025. This shift has been a welcome trend to local tourism organizations and businesses that have been increasingly relying on the support of local travellers.
But the increasing fear and uncertainty of American tariffs, policies and bilateral relationships are also causing unrest among Canadian tourism businesses.
The impact from Trump’s tariffs are felt particularly strongly by many Indigenous business owners who are now navigating inflationary pressures and workforce shortages.
Looking forward
The downturn in U.S.-bound travel could extend beyond the summer as travel trends continue to evolve. The statistics underscore the challenges that the U.S. tourism sector is facing and is likely to continue to face in to the future.
With World Tourism Day approaching on Sept. 27, travel and tourism professionals are encouraged to reflect on the industry’s development.
A central goal of World Tourism Day is to inspire “awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value.”
As tourism experts, we continue to promote Canadian generosity through professionals and travellers who keep kindness at the centre of their travel — an action that may be even more important than many realize.
Intentional travel and tourism can foster both peace and understanding. While the focus of World Tourism Day and the United Nations World Tourism Organization is to bring the world closer, this year Canadians worked to bring Canada itself closer together.
Moira A. McDonald is Associate Professor and Director at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Royal Roads University. Ann-Kathrin McLean is Assistant Professor at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Royal Roads University.
don miller says
canadians come south in the winter. always have. clog up the golf courses. now many of them are applying for dual citizenship because their gov makes them live there 6 months of the year to get benefits. socialism for you.
Bo Peep says
Well there were plenty here in Flagler.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Me personally, Im glad they don’t come here. From my past experience Canadians are rude, they eat out, want more of this, can I have extra that …then leave a shitty tip for the waitress, one Frenchy left a pile of pennies totalling $4.00, for a $7500 meal. I don’t miss the traffic problems they cause & accidents, Canadians are the worst drivers here except the people from India, hands down the worse drivers in history. I took my family to Montreal for a vacation, it was over priced, & dirty. Waitress all had a attitude problem,cant understand I tipped them well…. Sorry but Frenchy, you can keep Canada!
Deborah Coffey says
Facts and data don’t matter to MAGAs. They choose not to believe them, always making up their own “facts” to justify what they WANT to believe. I am doubting more by the day that a democracy can withstand this kind of unreality and mistrust in government, its institutions, and in everyone else whose opinions differ from theirs. Would a MAGA even admit that our country, with all its trials and mistakes, has been the envy of the world for 250 years? America FIRST has led to America ALONE and will make America LAST. We are becoming a pathetic dictatorship that is in cahoots with the oligarchy. We have lost the respect of the world. Impeach Trump and stop MAGA. Let’s get back on track. There was no need to Make America Great AGAIN. We have always been great, striving to become better and better.
Macca says
Using ‘anecdotal’ experience to draw conclusions elicits my signature eyeroll as I remain astonished how anyone would draw conclusions from non-representative data. If we look at more empirical data, Canadians are more friendly, polite and gracious than ourselves friends as tourists at countries around the world and in fact, in the US too. Plus, the toxic environment we have recently created here continues to deflect Canadian tourists from our country and initial analysis indicates billions of lost revenue. Yes, one insensitive french Canadian may have left a silly tip and yes, Canadians play golf much to our annoyance but the longer term impacts, backed by more indicative data points, will be felt.
Sherry says
Thank You Macca!
In my experience from 85 international home exchanges and traveling extensively to other countries, Canadians are regarded worldwide as friendly, kind, respectful, peaceful, law abiding and trustworthy. In fact, when traveling these days, we sometimes tell people we meet that we are Canadians because they are often now more accepted than US citizens. . . who can be considered rude and condescending.