According to a new report from Statistics Canada, the Canadian government agency that tracks country data, travel from Canada to the United States fell by a quarter in 2025, costing the U.S. about $2.3 billion in lost visitor spending.
Outside of the pandemic, the 11-month run of year-over-year declines last year was the most significant on record for Canadian travel to the U.S.
Our Analysis: The U.S. Used to Be Canada’s No. 1 Travel Destination, Contributing Billions in Spend
The U.S. is historically the top international travel destination for Canadian travelers. But last year, following the America First policies of the presidential administration, that took a sharp turn.
Canadians still traveled, but to different destinations — resulting in 5 million more domestic visits and 1.3 million more overseas visits, with Europe (+13.6%) and Asia (+16.7%) seeing the most Canadian travelers. So far, the decline has persisted but narrowed every month this year — before turning positive for the first time in April at 4.7%.
Following the change in the U.S. administration in early 2025 and the implementation of America First policies, Canadian travel sentiment shifted abruptly.
Without more data, it’s unclear if visitation from Canada to the U.S. is on the upswing yet, but it might be a good time for travel advisors to check in with their partners and clients directly impacted by U.S.-Canada relations.
Fast Facts: Canadian Leisure Travelers Spend 4.5 Times More than Canadians Visiting Family in the U.S.
- According to the government data, most (58.4% in 2025) of Canadian-resident travel abroad is taken for holiday, leisure and recreation purposes.
- Last year, leisure-related travel plans by Canadians to the U.S. decreased by 3.2 million visits.
- Visits by Canadians to the U.S. to see friends and relatives was more resilient, and declined by 9% (-536,000 visits) in 2025.
- Canadian leisure travelers spend 4.5 times more than those visiting family.
What They Are Saying: Canadian Travel Sentiment Was Directly Influenced by U.S. Politics
“In 2024, Canadian-resident return border crossings from the United States totaled 39 million, representing three-quarters of all Canadian-resident return border crossings from abroad,” reads the report. “Following the change in the U.S. administration in early 2025 and the implementation of America First policies, Canadian travel sentiment shifted abruptly.”
