Canadians' travel pullback costs U.S. tourism billions

https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/us-trump-travel-canada-economy-tourism" target="_blank">Canadian travel to the U.S. fell 25% last year, according to a new Canadian government report, which says early 2026 data show the decline has persisted.

Why it matters: The report provides some of the clearest measures yet of the economic cost to the U.S. tourism industry after trade tensions, tariffs and President Trump's repeated "https://www.axios.com/2025/05/06/trumps-canada-aggression-timeline-carney-visit" target="_blank">51st state" comments led many Canadians to vacation elsewhere.

• "Following the change in the U.S. administration in early 2025 and the implementation of https://www.axios.com/2025/10/17/trump-foreign-policy-focus-marjorie-taylor-greene" target="_blank">America First policies, Canadian travel sentiment shifted abruptly," the https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2026007/article/00005-eng.htm" target="_blank">report says.
• Statistics Canada says Canadians' return https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2026/07/24/gordie-howe-bridge-opens-monday" target="_blank">trips from the U.S. declined year over year for 11 consecutive months in 2025 — the longest sustained decline outside the pandemic since digital records began in 1972.

The big picture: Canada has traditionally been the https://www.ustravel.org/press/potential-results-decline-canadian-travel-united-states" target="_blank">largest source of international visitors to the U.S.

Zoom in: Canadians spent C$3.3 billion ($2.3 billion) less on trips to the U.S. in 2025, with lower leisure travel accounting for most of the decline, according to Statistics Canada.

• Travel spending on visits to the U.S. fell to C$18.8 billion, down from C$22.1 billion in 2024, per the report.
• Spending on overseas leisure trips, meanwhile, rose C$3.6 billion to C$22.8 billion, accounting for just under half of Canadians' total spending on trips abroad, the report says.
• Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Between the lines: Canadians largely redirected their travel rather than staying home, replacing many U.S. trips with domestic vacations or overseas travel, the report says.

• The 7.1 million fewer trips to the U.S. in 2025 were offset by 5 million more domestic trips and 1.3 million additional overseas trips.

What we're watching: Canada is only one piece of the U.S. tourism market.

Upcoming U.S. visitor data should help show whether increased travel from elsewhere — including for the https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/20/atlanta-world-cup-2026-economic-impact-marta-fan-fest-report-card" target="_blank">World Cup — offset some of the decline in Canadian travel to the U.S.

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