Latest news with #traveldecline
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian travel to the U.S. plummets — but Americans are staying home, too
It's not just Canadians who are holding back on cross-border travel amid a U.S. trade war that has soured bilateral relations. The number of Americans coming to Canada is also dropping off. New data published by Statistics Canada Thursday shows a 10.4 per cent decline in U.S. resident trips by automobile in June — a steeper drop than what was registered the month before. According to the federal agency, 1.4 million Americans made the trip north by auto last month, compared to roughly 1.56 million who did the same last year. That decline has political and business leaders on the Canadian side of the 49th parallel concerned given how much these visitors spend when they come. Last year, American visitors contributed a record $15 billion to the economy. There is a silver lining, though: some tourist destinations are reporting an uptick in domestic and non-U.S. international travellers, which, in some instances, is making up for the drop in American spending. What's obvious from the data is that Canadian trips to the U.S. continue to plummet. The number of Canadians returning from trips to the U.S. by air fell 22.1 per cent in June compared with the same month one year earlier, according to StatsCan. Canadian-resident return trips by automobile dropped by an eye-popping 33.1 per cent. Still, a statistically significant number of U.S. residents are also choosing to defer travel to Canada. Federal data shows the number of American-plated autos coming to Canada has been sliding since the onset of the trade dispute. The year was off to a promising start, with more Americans coming up in January than in the same month the year before. But, in February, things took a turn just as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his 51st state rhetoric and slapped tariffs on all imports, prompting a Canadian backlash, anthem booing and hurt feelings on both sides of the border. The immediate result was a drop in cross-border traffic — with Canadians pulling back on travel in a big way and their American neighbours doing the same, but to a lesser extent. The number of American-plated cars crossing into Canada dropped by six per cent in February, four per cent in March, and seven per cent in April, according to a CBC News analysis of the data. Niagara Falls, Ont., is particularly dependent on American travellers, with as many as three million of them coming north to take in the unofficial eighth world wonder in any given year. Figures from the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, which manages three border crossings in the area, shows even steeper declines than what has been reported elsewhere. Canada-bound trips by car fell by double digits at different points this year at the heavily trafficked Rainbow Bridge. On American Independence Day, for example, auto traffic over that bridge to Canada dropped by 20 per cent this year compared with 2024 — a particularly notable drop given the holiday fell on a Friday. Northbound bridge traffic was off significantly from last year's numbers every day last week, typically one of the busiest travel periods given the Canada Day and Fourth of July celebrations fall at roughly the same time. According to the Niagara Parks Commission, the Ontario agency that oversees dozens of attractions, shops and restaurants in the region, 42 per cent of its revenue last year came from Americans — about the same as what they pulled in from Canadians. Revenue from American travellers is off by nine per cent so far this year, David Adames, the CEO of the Niagara Parks Commission, told CBC News in an interview. He doesn't know why American tourism has dropped but he said "geopolitical issues," "uncertainty from some U.S. visitors and whether they feel welcome" could be driving their decisions. The agency has ramped up its advertising efforts in the U.S. "Our message to them is, 'We've got awesome tourism experiences to share with you. We're ready and willing and able to welcome you here,'" Adames said. Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa said there has been a worrying decline in American visitors to his picturesque historic town a stone's throw from the U.S. — but the drop-off isn't catastrophic. The town and surrounding area were the scene of several battles during the War of 1812, another era when bilateral relations were at a low point. The town's Shaw Festival Theatre, which typically brings in about 100,000 American attendees each season, has seen U.S. ticket sales drop by roughly four cent this year, a spokesperson said. In an interview, Zalepa said some U.S. visitors, who he called "extremely important" to the town's tourism industry, have told him they do feel "somewhat uncomfortable" coming to Canada given what's been going on between the two countries. "There's a lot of sheepishness — that's what the American visitor is thinking about or contemplating as they make a trip to Canada," he said. But he says those who do come see they have nothing to worry about. "If we have some differences of opinion, I say, 'Let's put that aside.' The American visitor is very welcome here," he said. Amid the American drop-off, non-U.S. international visitors are coming to the Niagara region more than usual — a possible sign that some foreign tourists are avoiding the U.S. and coming to Canada instead this summer. Adames said there's been a notable uptick in visitors from the U.K., France, Australia, South Korea, Spain, Italy and Mexico, which, when added together, offsets the American decline. Zalepa said he's also noticing an uptick in foreign visitors who are skipping the U.S. He said Canada should do its level best to keep that trend going even after the Trump animus fades. "We probably should have been doing a better job with that in the past," he said. "It's a bit of a wake-up call and sometimes you need your neighbour to give you a nudge. The relationship shakeup has got us thinking about finding new markets."
CBC
10-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Canadian travel to the U.S. plummets — but Americans are staying home, too
It's not just Canadians who are holding back on cross-border travel amid a U.S. trade war that has soured bilateral relations. The number of Americans coming to Canada is also dropping off. New data published by Statistics Canada Thursday shows a 10.4 per cent decline in U.S. resident trips by automobile in June — a steeper drop than what was registered the month before. According to the federal agency, 1.4 million Americans made the trip north by auto last month, compared to roughly 1.56 million who did the same last year. That decline has political and business leaders on the Canadian side of the 49th parallel concerned given how much these visitors spend when they come. Last year, American visitors contributed a record $15 billion to the economy. There is a silver lining, though: some tourist destinations are reporting an uptick in domestic and non-U.S. international travellers, which, in some instances, is making up for the drop in American spending. What's obvious from the data is that Canadian trips to the U.S. continue to plummet. The number of Canadians returning from trips to the U.S. by air fell 22.1 per cent in June compared with the same month one year earlier, according to StatsCan. Canadian-resident return trips by automobile dropped by an eye-popping 33.1 per cent. Still, a statistically significant number of U.S. residents are also choosing to defer travel to Canada. Federal data shows the number of American-plated autos coming to Canada has been sliding since the onset of the trade dispute. The year was off to a promising start, with more Americans coming up in January than in the same month the year before. But, in February, things took a turn just as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his 51st state rhetoric and slapped tariffs on all imports, prompting a Canadian backlash, anthem booing and hurt feelings on both sides of the border. The immediate result was a drop in cross-border traffic — with Canadians pulling back on travel in a big way and their American neighbours doing the same, but to a lesser extent. The number of American-plated cars crossing into Canada dropped by six per cent in February, four per cent in March, and seven per cent in April, according to a CBC News analysis of the data. Niagara Falls, Ont., is particularly dependent on American travellers, with as many as three million of them coming north to take in the unofficial eighth world wonder in any given year. Figures from the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, which manages three border crossings in the area, shows even steeper declines than what has been reported elsewhere. Canada-bound trips by car fell by double digits at different points this year at the heavily trafficked Rainbow Bridge. On American Independence Day, for example, auto traffic over that bridge to Canada dropped by 20 per cent this year compared with 2024 — a particularly notable drop given the holiday fell on a Friday. Northbound bridge traffic was off significantly from last year's numbers every day last week, typically one of the busiest travel periods given the Canada Day and Fourth of July celebrations fall at roughly the same time. According to the Niagara Parks Commission, the Ontario agency that oversees dozens of attractions, shops and restaurants in the region, 42 per cent of its revenue last year came from Americans — about the same as what they pulled in from Canadians. Revenue from American travellers is off by nine per cent so far this year, David Adames, the CEO of the Niagara Parks Commission, told CBC News in an interview. He doesn't know why American tourism has dropped but he said "geopolitical issues," "uncertainty from some U.S. visitors and whether they feel welcome" could be driving their decisions. The agency has ramped up its advertising efforts in the U.S. "Our message to them is, 'We've got awesome tourism experiences to share with you. We're ready and willing and able to welcome you here,'" Adames said. Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa said there has been a worrying decline in American visitors to his picturesque historic town a stone's throw from the U.S. — but the drop-off isn't catastrophic. The town and surrounding area were the scene of several battles during the War of 1812, another era when bilateral relations were at a low point. The town's Shaw Festival Theatre, which typically brings in about 100,000 American attendees each season, has seen U.S. ticket sales drop by roughly four cent this year, a spokesperson said. In an interview, Zalepa said some U.S. visitors, who he called "extremely important" to the town's tourism industry, have told him they do feel "somewhat uncomfortable" coming to Canada given what's been going on between the two countries. "There's a lot of sheepishness — that's what the American visitor is thinking about or contemplating as they make a trip to Canada," he said. But he says those who do come see they have nothing to worry about. "If we have some differences of opinion, I say, 'Let's put that aside.' The American visitor is very welcome here," he said. Amid the American drop-off, non-U.S. international visitors are coming to the Niagara region more than usual — a possible sign that some foreign tourists are avoiding the U.S. and coming to Canada instead this summer. Adames said there's been a notable uptick in visitors from the U.K., France, Australia, South Korea, Spain, Italy and Mexico, which, when added together, offsets the American decline. Zalepa said he's also noticing an uptick in foreign visitors who are skipping the U.S. He said Canada should do its level best to keep that trend going even after the Trump animus fades. "We probably should have been doing a better job with that in the past," he said. "It's a bit of a wake-up call and sometimes you need your neighbour to give you a nudge. The relationship shakeup has got us thinking about finding new markets."
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Canadian Tourism To U.S. Down 33% In June—Billions In Losses
Last month saw one-third fewer Canadians visiting the U.S. by car compared to June 2024—as Canada propels international tourism declines to an expected overall economic loss of $29 billion in 2025. One third fewer Canadians traveled to the US by car in June, cementing ar huge economic loss for ... More American tourism industry. getty The volume of Canadians taking road trips into the U.S.—the means by which most Canadians visit—dropped by 33% last month compared to June 2024, according to new data from Statistics Canada, following a 38% drop in May. There was also a 22% decline in air travelers from Canada was the sixth consecutive month of steep declines in inbound Canadian travel, including double-digit year-over-year drops in car travel and air travel to the U.S. every month since April. Travel in the other direction is also down, as fewer Americans traveled to Canada in June compared to last year, with car travel down 10% last month—down slightly from an 8% drop in May, per Statistics Canada data. Last year, Canadian tourists made up roughly one-quarter of all foreign travelers who came to the United States, according to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO), collectively spend $20.5 billion in 2024—nearly double the $10.4 billion Americans spent at McDonald's over the same period. The U.S. Travel Association (USTA) warned in February that even a 10% drop in Canadian inbound tourism could translate to a $2.1 billion in lost spending and 140,000 jobs jeopardized in the hospitality and related sectors—and the new data suggest those losses will be exponentially larger. In early February, when President Donald Trump began talking about tariffs and started referring to Canada as 'the 51st state,' then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canadians not to spend vacation dollars in the U.S., and he repeated that call to action until he left office in April. Three-quarters of Canadians who had previously planned a trip to the U.S. say the tariff announcements influenced their plans. Over half (56%) of those who had been planning to visit the U.S. have since decided to travel elsewhere, according to a survey by Leger Marketing of over 1,500 Canadian adults fielded mid-May. Ongoing headlines in multiple news outlets of more than 50 Canadian tourists being detained at the U.S. border have driven Charlie Angus, a recently retired minister in Canada's House of Commons, to call for his government to 'do the right thing and issue a travel warning to any Canadian about the threats they might face from the United States government?' and calling the U.S. 'a nation that has no respect for individual rights or the rule of law.' U.S. Customs and Border Protection declined to comment, instead directing Forbes to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). What About International Tourists From Other Countries? The U.S. is looking at a significant 9% drop in U.S. international arrivals for 2025, and a drop of $8.5 billion (-4.7%) in international visitor spending relative to last year, according to the latest forecast from Tourism Economics, a nonpartisan Oxford Economics company tracking tourism statistics. But the true damage is actually twice as 'catastrophic' because 2025 was supposed to be a big growth year for international tourism, Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, previously told Forbes. The U.S. was projected to see a $16.3 billion increase in tourism revenue from international markets and now is facing losses of up to $12.5 billion—for a combined forecasted loss of up to $29 billion. Further Reading U.S. Tourism Will Lose Up To $29 Billion As Visitors Plummet Amid Trump Policies (Forbes) U.S. Now 'Flyover' Country For Canadians—Who Are Traveling To Mexico, Caribbean Instead (Forbes)
Fast Company
28-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Who wants to come to America? More tourists are staying away, spending their money elsewhere in 2025
Between reports of travelers being arrested or hassled at border crossings and boycotts due to President Trump's divisive rhetoric, it's no surprise that the number of international visitors to the United States has taken a sharp downturn. Now new research from Tourism Economics predicts an 8.5% decline in international tourism to the United States this year. As a result, the country could see an $8.5 billion downtick in international visitor spending, according to Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. Meanwhile, the World Travel & Tourism Council has an even bleaker prediction, estimating a loss of $12.5 billion for 2025. The former's predictions are an improvement from a report two months ago, which put the decrease in arrivals at 9.4% and spending down to 5%, compared to 4.7%. However, they're shocking when you consider that the researchers had initially predicted a 9% increase in international travelers and a 16% boost in their spending for 2025. 'Negative sentiment effects' The largest decline for a single country is predicted to reach 20.2% from Canada—the independent nation that President Trump has posited should go from neighbor to 51st state. Western Europe follows at an expected 5.8% decrease in visitors to the U.S. Canada and Europe already have a significant drop in flights booked for May to July, down 33% and 10.4%, respectively. 'Overall, the strained relationship between the US and its key trading allies and tourism source markets will continue to weigh heavily on travel demand,' stated Aran Ryan, the report's author and the director of industry studies. 'These negative sentiment effects referenced in our prior research, explain our view that Trump administration rhetoric and policies have contributed to a mix of traveler backlash and concerns about traveling to the US.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Full-blown crisis': Travel from Saskatchewan to U.S. has plummeted after Donald Trump's election
The number of travellers heading south of the border from Saskatchewan has dropped significantly since the election of President Donald Trump, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The most recent available data is from April. It shows that just over 27,000 travellers entered the United States that month at the 12 ports of entry that border Saskatchewan. In April 2024, those 12 ports of entry recorded 34,800 travellers. That's a year-over-year drop of 7,700 people, or 22 per cent. The decline is part of a trend that can be found across the data collected by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Saskatchewan border crossings. When comparing numbers reported in April 2024 and April 2025, there's been a drop in the number of passenger vehicles (23 per cent) and trucks (20 per cent). In fact, the CBP data shows that every month since Trump was sworn into office in February has seen fewer travellers than the same month in 2024. The decline is already having a material effect on Canadian businesses. The executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association, which represents 32 duty free stores across the land border, said the shops are in a "full-blown crisis." One of those stores is located at the North Portal-Portal border crossing in Saskatchewan. Barbara Barrett said that on average, sales at the stores nationwide have dropped by about 40 or 50 per cent. "In the more remote areas in the east and the west, we're seeing up to 80 per cent down. So it is a dramatic decrease and we are feeling the brunt of the elbows up [movement]. I'd say that we're taking it on the chin," Barrett said. WATCH | Sask. travel to United States drops, threatening border businesses: Barrett said the drop in traffic came as Trump ratcheted up political tensions with Canada by making comments about the country becoming the 51st state. The president's decision to announce and then retreat from a series of tariffs on Canadian goods being imported into the United States hasn't helped. Barrett admitted that the stores struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel across the U.S. border was shuttered. The lack of travel now is like being kicked when they're already down, she said. The compounding issues could force tough decisions for many of the duty-free store owners, with approximately a third of the stores facing closure. "We're often the pillars of very small communities across Canada. So a lot of the employees have been working in these stores for 20 to 30 years, and there aren't a lot of other employment opportunities in these very remote areas," Barrett said. The decline in traffic is also at odds with a trend that saw the number of crossings from Saskatchewan to the states of North Dakota and Montana increase year-over-year in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Stephanie Schoenrock, the executive director ofVisit Minot, said businesses in the North Dakota city are reporting a drop in the number of Canadian visitors compared to last year. While it may not yet be peak tourism season, Schoenrock said Minot thrives on tourists heading south from Saskatchewan. "This is the thing that I really want to stress, probably more than anything, is the businesses of Minot want Canadians," she said. Schoenrock said they continue to monitor the situation and are encouraging their neighbours from the north to travel to Minot. In contrast to the data provided by CBP, Tourism Saskatchewan told CBC News that the province has seen an "increase in U.S. border crossings into the province between January and March this year as compared to 2024." April saw a slight dip, but the tourism agency said the stability in travel to the province is the result of strong hunting and fishing opportunities. "In conversations with the industry, outfitters have indicated that bookings have been steady or growing in 2025 compared to 2024, with relatively few cancellations. Based on this information, Tourism Saskatchewan expects relatively stable, if not growing, visitor expenditures from the U.S. market in 2025," Tourism Saskatchewan said in a statement. Barrett said the Frontier Duty Free Association is calling for "pandemic-level" assistance, such as wage or rent supports, to avoid closure of duty free stores. "Once we lose them, we're not getting them back," Barrett said. Schoenrock prefers to take a long view of the shrinking travel numbers. She pointed to the historically close relationship between Canada and the United States. "This relationship has spanned decades and so we don't see this as international tourists, right? We see it as our friends that we see often," Schoenrock said.
