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Number of Canadian tourists to the US drops: Billions of dollars in losses expected if decline continues

2025-03-16 18:18:43Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Number of Canadian tourists to the US drops: Billions of dollars in losses
Number of Canadian tourists to the US drops

At the US-Canada border, Corey Fram's job has become much more difficult.

Fram is director of the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, which promotes a natural destination with castles, cruises, hiking and fishing that are enjoyed by Canadians and Americans.

But US President Donald Trump's recent policies towards Canada have everyone worried.

“We’ve noticed that many of our visitors, particularly Canadians, are quite angry. They’re hurt by what they see as offensive politics and rhetoric. From what I’m hearing, and I’ve talked to travel professionals, many are choosing not to visit the United States. This is a challenge for us here because it goes against the way we’ve always lived our lives and promoted ourselves as a destination,” says Fram.

Seeing the Canadian and American flags often flying side by side, travelers once didn't care which side of the border they were on. Now, with Trump's latest rhetoric, Corey is trying to fix the image by conveying non-negative messages.

"We've been very careful not to broadcast and showcase U.S. assets to Canadian audiences and Canadian assets to American audiences, because when we've done that, we've found that it's had a negative impact. We don't want to offend our partners and our destination in that way," says Fram.

Canadians have been shocked by Trump's actions and words since he returned to the White House.

Some businesses are removing American products from their shelves, even before Trump's latest attack, when he raised tariffs to 50% on imported Canadian steel and aluminum.

New bookings to the United States from Canada have fallen by about 20% since February 1 compared to the same period a year ago, according to Forward Keys, a flight company.

No other traveler goes to the United States more than Canadians, who scored 20.4 million visits in 2024. Canadian travelers also spend three times more on vacations than domestic American travelers.

"I think the constant jokes about annexing Canada, Canada being the 51st state, and statements being made by very high-level political leaders, just leave a bad taste. I always saw the US as our ally, but now I see that rhetoric as a very serious threat," said Zina Oukil, a Canadian tourist.

She says that many Canadians are turning their eyes towards Europe.

"Instead of traveling to the US, we have set our sights on destinations in Europe, but also Mexico," said Zina Oukil.

Hotel bookings in Bellingham, a coastal city near the Canadian border that offers skiing and ferries to Alaska, fell 10.8% from February 2 to March 1. Bookings in Niagara Falls, New York, fell 8.1% during the same period.

Canadians aren't the only travelers pulling out of the U.S. Bookings from Denmark and Germany were down 27% and 15% year-over-year, respectively, according to Forward Keys. Demand from Europe as a whole fell just 1%.

"I travel a lot for work. I still drive my American-made car. But yeah, it can have an impact when things get more expensive, obviously," said Raz Matus, a tourist from Toronto.

"I'm an American citizen, but I've lived in New Zealand for 30 years, so coming back here is okay for me."

A 10% drop in Canadian travelers could cost the United States $2.1 billion in lost spending, the U.S. Travel Association estimates.

The Trump administration will require all foreigners in the U.S. to register and submit fingerprints starting April 11 if they stay beyond 30 days. Canadians are not exempt, although they can usually visit the U.S. for up to six months without a visa.


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