Canadian Travel to the US Plunge 42%, 15-Month Decline Continues
May 27, 2026 Team Contributor
Canadian travel to the US has now fallen for 15 straight months, reflecting ongoing trade and political tensions. According to recent statistics, fewer Canadians are nowadays heading south, while interest in overseas and domestic travel continues to grow.
Cross-border travel decline deepens
New research from the University of Toronto indicates the decline may be much steeper than official border figures suggest. Using anonymized cellphone data, researchers found a 42% drop in Canadian visits to major U.S. cities between April 2024 and March 2026. In contrast, border crossing statistics had previously shown a more moderate decline of around 25%.
Karen Chapple, director of the University of Toronto School of Cities and one of the report’s authors, pointed to falling travel numbers in Grand Rapids, highlighting the city’s long-standing economic ties with Ontario’s automotive sector.
As reported in The Guardian, Chapple said, “There used to be a lot of back and forth between the two places” for work purposes. Since the U.S. imposed tariffs on some Canadian goods, including vehicles, fewer Canadians appeared to be travelling there.
Business ties and border economies feel the impact
Major US tourism and business hubs, such as New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Houston, saw a noticeable decline in Canadian visitors during this period. Reduced travelling trends are likely to linked to business activity, especially in manufacturing and technology sectors that maintain strong Canada–US ties.
Some border economies, depending on Canadian spending, have already reported weaker tourism demand and lower retail activity.
Canadians shift toward overseas and domestic travel
Meanwhile, Canadians are not abandoning vacations altogether. Statistics Canada data shows overseas travel by Canadian travellers continued rising through early 2026, with international destinations outside the U.S. recording year-over-year growth.
Travel patterns have shifted enough that overseas return trips recently surpassed U.S. automobile returns for multiple months, a rare occurrence historically. Growing interest in domestic tourism is also reshaping Canada’s travel industry.
Provincial destinations, nature-based getaways, and local cultural experiences are drawing more Canadians who are choosing trips closer to home. This trend is believed to grow further if cross-border tensions and economic uncertainty continue through the rest of 2026.
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