Canadians Are Turning Away From U.S. Travel—Here’s What’s Behind the Shift

Proximity and Popularity: The U.S. as Canada’s Top Travel Destination

For years, the United States has been the leading international destination for Canadian travelers, thanks to its close proximity and generally warmer climate. In 2024, Canadians made 39 million trips to the U.S., accounting for 75% of all their international journeys (Statistics Canada, 2025).

Yet, new data for early 2025 suggests that this longstanding preference may be changing.

A Steep Drop in Automobile Travel Across the Border

Canadian return trips from the U.S. are primarily divided between automobile and air travel, with nearly three-quarters of journeys occurring by car across the extensive land border.

These trips by car are typically more responsive to shifts in sentiment, as they require less planning than air travel. Early 2025 data reveals a sharp decrease in Canadian-resident returns by automobile from the U.S., with five consecutive months of significant year-over-year declines.

In May, these trips dropped by 38.1% compared to the previous year, a decline even steeper than April’s 35.2% drop. This marks the first such drop since early 2021, during the pandemic’s travel restrictions.

Same-Day Crossings Take a Historic Hit

Historically, same-day automobile trips to the U.S. have been consistent, except following major events like 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis.

However, same-day excursions fell drastically at the start of 2025, after positive trends through 2024. By May 2025, same-day returns had plummeted 40.3% year over year, while overnight travel decreased by 34.3%.

These declines were widespread, affecting all border provinces for the first time since the pandemic. Quebec and British Columbia saw the steepest drops, at over 52% each, and Windsor, Ontario, one of the busiest crossing points, experienced a 17.5% decline in same-day returns.

Declining Air Travel to the U.S. Mirrors Land Trends

Most air travel by Canadians returning from the U.S. involves overnight stays, and in 2024, air trips made up nearly one-fifth of all international returns.

Similar to the drop in car travel, Canadian-resident returns from the U.S. by air have consistently declined year over year since September 2023.

This downward trend continued in 2025, with returns falling 14% in April and 24.2% in May.

Broader Shifts in International Travel Patterns

The changing sentiment among Canadian travelers may be part of a larger trend affecting international travel to the U.S. and Canada.

According to U.S. government data, arrivals from Western Europe to the U.S.

dropped by 17% in March 2025, though there was some rebound in April. Overall, international arrivals to both the U.S.

and Canada have edged down compared to 2024. While Canadian travel abroad fell 18.9% in April—largely due to fewer trips to the U.S.—travel to overseas destinations by Canadians actually rose by 8.8%.

As a result, a greater share of Canadians’ international trips are now heading to destinations other than the United States.

Conclusion: Uncertain Future for Cross-Border Travel

The steep declines in Canadian travel to the U.S. at the beginning of 2025 highlight a significant change in long-standing patterns.

Whether this trend is a temporary response to current circumstances or the beginning of a more lasting shift in Canadian travel habits remains to be seen.

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