In 2025, Canadian travelers significantly reduced their spending on trips to the United States, with expenditures dropping by $3.3 billion compared to the previous year. Official data reveals that Canadian spending on U.S. travel declined from $22.1 billion in 2024 to $18.8 billion the following year. This shift in travel habits is attributed to ongoing political and trade tensions between the two countries.
While Canadian travel to the U.S. saw a downturn, spending on international travel outside the United States experienced an increase. Canadians spent $3.6 billion more on trips abroad, bringing the total expenditure on international travel to $22.8 billion in 2025. Destinations such as Europe and Asia saw notable increases, with travel to Europe rising by nearly 14% and visits to Asia up by almost 17%. These figures suggest that many Canadians opted for alternative international destinations over the United States.
The decrease in travel to the U.S. was also reflected in border traffic statistics. Throughout 2025, there was a sharp decline in the number of return trips from the U.S. to Canada, with both road and air travel seeing a reduction of about 25% compared to the previous year. July witnessed the steepest decline, with border crossings plummeting by approximately one-third.
This trend of reduced Canadian travel to the United States has persisted into 2026, with travel volumes remaining well below previous levels. Officials indicate that these numbers highlight a sustained change in Canadian travel behavior, as travelers continue to favor destinations outside the U.S.