U.S. Sees Another Steep Decline in Canadian Visits

Key Points

• Canadian visits to the U.S. have declined sharply for nine consecutive months, with car travel down nearly 35% and air travel down 27.1% year-over-year in September.
• A majority of Canadians cite U.S. policy and politics as reasons they are less likely to visit, contributing to the downturn in inbound U.S. travel.
• Canadian travelers are increasingly choosing other international destinations and domestic travel, with spending in places like Buenos Aires, Osaka, and Copenhagen more than doubling, and domestic visitor spending projected to surge.

Summary

Canadian travel to the U.S. continues to fall steeply, with September marking the ninth straight month of declines—car travel dropped by nearly 35% and air travel by 27.1% from the previous year. This trend is largely attributed to unfavorable U.S. policies and politics, as cited by a majority of Canadian travelers. Meanwhile, Canadians are spending more on travel to other international destinations and within Canada itself, leading to a projected boom in domestic tourism and a broader decline in inbound U.S. travel.