Nicolai Haugsted
Canadian travel retaliation reaches record levels under Trump.
Cross-border vacations are becoming increasingly rare for Canadian travellers, according to newly released government figures that point to a dramatic shift in where residents choose to spend their holiday budgets.
According to The Guardian, official data suggests the decline is closely linked to the political climate following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, with many Canadians opting for Europe and Asia instead of destinations south of the border.
Billions redirected away from the United States
Statistics Canada reported that Canadians spent 18.8 billion Canadian dollars on travel to the United States in 2025, compared with 22.1 billion dollars the previous year—a decline of 3.3 billion dollars.
Spending elsewhere moved in the opposite direction. Canadian travellers spent 22.8 billion dollars in countries outside the United States during 2025, an increase of 3.6 billion dollars from 2024.
According to the agency, changing attitudes emerged shortly after the new U.S. administration took office.
“Following the change in the US administration in early 2025 and the implementation of America First policies, Canadian travel sentiment shifted abruptly.”
The report links that change to Washington’s trade policies and Trump’s repeated remarks about the possibility of Canada becoming part of the United States.
Europe and Asia benefit
Rather than cutting back on international travel altogether, Canadians redirected their vacations to other parts of the world.
Visits to Europe rose by nearly 14 percent compared with 2024, while travel to Asia increased by almost 17 percent during the same period.
Travel to the United States, however, continued to fall sharply. Return trips from the U.S. to Canada by both road and air declined by roughly one-quarter over the course of 2025.
July recorded the steepest drop, with border crossings falling by about one-third compared with the same month a year earlier.
Historic decline continues into 2026
Statistics Canada described the sustained reduction in cross-border travel as unprecedented in the modern era.
“The deepest and most sustained on record.”
According to the agency, declines exceeding 30 percent have only previously been recorded in September 2001, immediately after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Early figures for 2026 indicate that the pattern has not changed. Return trips from the United States remain at levels similar to those recorded at the end of 2025, when leisure travel had fallen by 27 percent between October and December.
Statistics Canada said the figures point to “a persistent shift away from the United States by Canadian residents in their travel preferences,” suggesting the change in travel behaviour has extended well beyond a temporary reaction.
