By Trendsetter Tribune 
Canadians are traveling to the United States far less than in previous years, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Figures through November show a sharp decline in the number of Canadians returning from trips south of the border — a sign that cross-border leisure and shopping visits have slipped significantly.
Julian Karaguesian, an economics lecturer at McGill University and former adviser at Canada’s Department of Finance, said several factors are deterring travelers. Among them are tighter U.S. immigration enforcement, political unrest, and rhetoric from President Donald Trump related to trade and relations with Canada. “From the summer onward, there were protests, immigration raids, and talk of calling in the National Guard,” Karaguesian said. “That kind of atmosphere has scared away a lot of tourists.”
After collapsing during the pandemic, Canadian travel to the U.S. partially recovered but dropped again in early 2025 — down roughly 25% from the previous year. Meanwhile, visits from Americans to Canada have held steadier. Domestic travel within Canada, however, rose nearly 11% in mid-2025, with many residents favoring local vacations.
Karaguesian expects the slowdown to persist as the “Buy Canadian” movement grows amid ongoing trade disputes, political tension, and intermittent violence in U.S. cities. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once urged Canadians to choose domestic products and vacations over American ones, reinforcing that sentiment.
The drop in northern visitors has hit U.S. border economies hard. Businesses in states like Michigan, New Hampshire, and Vermont say tourism revenues are fading. “When Canadians stay home, our margins vanish — and in groceries, those margins are tiny already,” said Kyle Daley, who owns a store in New Hampshire.
Local leaders along the border are worried. Vermont city councilor Becca Brown McKnight warned that fewer cross-border shoppers could mean closures and job losses for small, family-run stores. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer likewise stressed the deep economic ties between her state and Canada, calling them “intertwined.”
Restaurant owner Sandy Levine, who operates several establishments in Detroit, said Canadian traffic has noticeably slowed. “We still see some visitors, but not nearly as many as a year ago,” he told WDET.
Karaguesian believes the diplomatic chill could have been avoided: “If Washington had focused on rebuilding manufacturing through tariffs without antagonizing Canada, it could have reached the same goals without alienating so many Canadians.”