Travel from Canada to the United States has plummeted, with some travelers citing political rhetoric and concerns about immigration.
World Cup ticket holders will no longer need to pay a visa deposit to travel to the US
The Trump administration has suspended the requirement for some visitors to pay a deposit to enter the United States if they are World Cup ticket holders.
- Travel from Canada to the United States has decreased significantly in recent years.
- Many Canadians choose to travel domestically or internationally, such as to Europe or Mexico.
- Despite the decline, some Canadians continue to visit the United States for events, business, and personal connections.
Paul Doroshenko last spent more than a day in the United States more than nine years ago. And the Vancouver resident has no plans to return in the near future.
In 2017, Doroshenko, a lawyer, was in Arizona for a trade conference, which coincided with President Donald Trump’s first inauguration. Describing himself as an “intimate political observer,” he watched the event on a TV in the hallway.
The deal was completed with Trump’s second term in office. Since then, he has said he is “very concerned” by the administration’s stance on diversity, equity and inclusion, a series of detentions over the past year, and rhetoric about the takeover of Greenland and Canada.
“All of these things have influenced “Actually, this is political, but we also hear stories of Canadians being detained, Canadians being held in immigration detention centers, Canadians being confronted by Americans who talk about the ’51st state.’ This is insulting and offensive and is not the way you should treat your neighbors or business partners,” Doroshenko said.
It’s not that Mr. Doroshenko hates his southern neighbor — he sees the successes of Canada and the United States as intertwined — it’s just that current policies at the moment run counter to his core values. He has canceled all future American vacations until “significant changes” occur.
Canadians were once the largest group of international visitors to Japan, but recent data shows a shift, with some moving away from the U.S. based on their values and the weakening Canadian dollar.
The decline started early last year. According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadian residents returning from the United States in February 2026 was 1.1 million, a decrease of 13.25% from 1.27 million in February 2025 and 28.2% from 1.41 million in February 2024.
A University of Toronto study published in May 2026 analyzed cell phone activity data and found an even more surprising decline. Comparing the period from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 to the period from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, the number of Canadians visiting the United States decreased by a median of 42%.
As travel costs soar and travelers from the Great North consider where to spend their time and money, many are choosing other destinations where they feel more suited, welcomed and even safer. Some are now disillusioned with the United States, but others are moving forward with their visit.
With travelers on both sides of the same coin, the big picture shows one thing. That means the United States has fallen from its place as the top travel destination for Canadians for the foreseeable future.
change in attitude
Jumping beyond the United States hasn’t slowed Doroshenko’s journey. He’s just choosing somewhere else. He traded a trip to Florida for a trip to the Dominican Republic, and his wife and children canceled a visit to Disneyland and went to Europe instead. He has not attended any conferences or trade shows in the United States, but plans to attend the next trade show in Mexico. He also explored his home province of British Columbia more than any other in the past decade.
Expedia’s Summer Travel Outlook shows more Canadians are leaning toward domestic travel this summer, with shorter, closer trips offering better value for money. Based on the platform’s January 5, 2026 to April 5, 2026 accommodation searches for travel from June 1 to August 31, 2026, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are the most popular domestic destinations for Canadians this summer. Regular European destinations such as Paris, London and Rome are the top international destinations.
The United States continues to be ignored by Canadians and is losing ground among international travelers.
According to recent data from the U.S. Travel Association, overall foreign visitors to the U.S. decreased by 5.5% in volume terms in 2025, primarily due to fewer Canadians.
This resulted in a 2.4% decline in inbound travel spending revenue. Canadian travelers spend three times more than Americans on trips to the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin recently threatened to suspend customs and immigration inspections for international travelers and cargo at major airports in “sanctuary” cities such as Denver, New York and Los Angeles, privately warning travel executives earlier this month. Industry groups have voiced opposition to the proposal, with Airlines for America saying job cuts at major hubs would have a “devastating impact” on the U.S. tourism and aviation industries.
We could see some recovery later this year as major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup attract more travelers, with a projected 21% increase in Canadians. The Trump administration has suspended visa deposit requirements for World Cup ticket holders. But that recovery will depend on “policy conditions, global developments and geopolitical stability,” the group said in an update on spring 2026 U.S. travel.
Overcoming the political divide
Not all Canadians are leaving the United States. Some say they feel welcomed and relationships are more important.
Sharon Wickham, who lives in Alberta, continues to visit the United States. He mostly comes to cowboy shooting competitions with his horses, and said he enjoys meeting “like-minded grassroots people.”
Ms Wickham said she had no problems at the border as long as her documents were in order. “I think people who are boycotting travel to the United States are missing out,” she says.
Winnipeg-based Carla Foley is another Canadian who remains primarily a snowbird in the United States. It’s a tradition that dates back to my childhood, when my family spent half of the year in California. She recently spent three weeks in Arizona and will be heading to New York in June for the opening game of the FIFA World Cup.
Mr. Foley found President Trump’s previous comments about Canadian sovereignty and the trade war “disappointing.” She said she could see how it evoked fear in her fellow Canadians, but outweighed her pride in her country: “We are very strong and to me Canada will always be Canada.”
Foley understands how divided Canadians are about the United States right now, but as a small business owner herself, she encourages Canadians to consider who is actually affected by the boycott. “We’re not hurting Trump, we’re not hurting people who have billions of dollars,” she said. “You’re just hurting your small town or whatever it is, the small small businesses that rely on you coming in every year.”
She hopes travelers on both sides of the border will be able to ignore politics. “I just hope the politics on both sides calm down. We are each other’s closest neighbors.”
