Canadian Travel to U.S. Plummets for Tenth Straight Month
The number of Canadian residents traveling to the United States continued its significant decline in October, marking the tenth consecutive month of year-over-year drops and signaling a broader shift in Canadian travel patterns.
Preliminary data from Statistics Canada reveals that 1.4 million Canadians returned home by car from the U.S. in October, a 30.5 per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Air travel saw a similar trend, with 437,300 Canadians flying back from the U.S., down 24 per cent. This sustained downturn is impacting the U.S. economy, as foreign travel spending is projected to fall by US$5.7 billion this year.
Several factors are contributing to this aversion, including political tensions related to U.S. tariffs and rhetoric, concerns about potential border treatment, and the unfavorable exchange rate – currently, the Canadian dollar is worth approximately 71 cents US. As a result, more Canadians are opting for international destinations; over 964,000 Canadians flew back from overseas last month, a nearly seven per cent increase year-over-year. This surge in demand has notably boosted profits for airlines like Air France-KLM, with bookings from Canada up 30 per cent. You can find more information about Statistics Canada’s data on their official website.
While Canadians are traveling south less frequently, Americans are showing a slight increase in visits to Canada. U.S. resident trips to Canada by car totaled one million last month, a decrease of less than one per cent from October 2024. States like California are actively attempting to win back Canadian tourists, launching campaigns like “California Loves Canada,” but officials acknowledge the impact. “That’s a gut punch to the industry,” said Ryan Becker, a senior vice-president at Visit California, during a recent visit to Calgary and Vancouver. The U.S. Travel Association reports that the decline in Canadian visits is the primary driver of the overall drop in foreign travel spending.
Officials say they will continue to monitor travel trends and assess the effectiveness of ongoing tourism campaigns.
