Canadians pull back on U.S. trips, threatening to widen United States’ $50 billion travel deficit
Photo:Canadians hold an “Elbows Up” protest against U.S. tariffs and other policies by U.S. President Donald Trump, at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 22, 2025. Carlos Osorio | Reuters
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- Trips from Canada to the U.S. are dropping, threatening to widen the United States’ $50 billion travel and tourism deficit.
- Canada is the top source of international visitors to the United States.
- The White House said Friday that Canadians “will no longer have to endure the inconveniences of international travel when Canada becomes our 51st state.”
- Several other countries have issued travel warnings for travelers considering going to the U.S.
Canadians are skipping trips to the U.S. and visitors from other countries could soon follow threatening to deepen the United States’ $50 billion travel deficit.
Experts say they’re pulling back for a variety of reasons, ranging from an unfavorable currency exchange rate to the U.S. political climate given President Donald Trump’s trade policies and his public statements on annexing Canada, as well as high-profile detainments of people who already had visas to be in the U.S., long wait visa times and other policies that have added to tensions with longtime close allies.
Reached for comment Friday, a White House spokesperson said by email that “everybody wants to come to President Trump’s America.”
Canadians “will no longer have to endure the inconveniences of international travel when Canada becomes our 51st state” and that “Europeans are eager to enjoy the Golden Age of America if they so choose to,” the spokesperson said.
In response to President Trump’s tariff plans at the time, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month urged Canadians to “choose Canada” and suggested “changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations our great country has to offer.”
The cross-border travel trends and Trump administration’s policies are worrying some in the United States’ travel industry, which draws in more than $1 trillion in direct spending a year.
The U.S. Travel Association said in a statement to CNBC that there is a “a question of America’s welcomeness, a slowing U.S. economy and recent safety concerns.
“These challenges are real and demand decisive action,” the organization, whose members include large hotel groups, airlines and other major travel companies, said, adding that is “actively working with the White House and Congress to advance policies that drive economic expansion and keep the U.S. competitive on the global stage.”
There are billions of dollars on the line. People from the United States already travel abroad and spend more in other countries than the U.S. brings in from foreign travelers.
Last year, the United States’ travel deficit was more than $51 billion, meaning Americans spent that much more abroad than foreigners visiting the U.S. spent, stripping out spending for medical and educational purposes, which still showed a deficit, according to Commerce Department data.
The U.S. brought in more than 72 million visitors last year, still below pre-Covid levels, according to a report from Jefferies. Visitors from Canada were the largest group, accounting for 28%, followed by Mexico at 23%, the bank said in a note this month.
Travel and tourism of inbound visitors are counted as U.S. exports, and they accounted for about 8% of U.S. exports of goods and services, according to the Commerce Department.
International visitors from overseas are especially important because they tend to stay longer and spend more money than local tourists, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Some Canadians travel elsewhere
Both air travel and land crossings between the United States and Canada are down.
In February, Canadians’ return flights to Canada fell 13% over last year while return trips by car dropped 23% according to Statistics Canada .
Hotel demand in some area along the Canada-U.S. border are also down. As of March 15, they were off 8% in Bellingham, Washington, and 3.5% in the Niagara Falls area, according to hotel data firm STR. However, demand throughout Florida, a top destination for Canadian travelers, is up 3% over last year, the firm said.
Canadian airlines are cutting some routes and flights to the U.S.
Canadian airline Flair, for example, said it canceled its planned Toronto to Nashville, Tennessee, route.
“Our network decisions are driven solely by consumer demand—we deploy our aircraft where demand is strongest to provide the lowest fares to the most travellers,” a spokeswoman for the airline said by email.
Canadian airline WestJet said it has seen Canadian customers shift bookings from the U.S. to other popular sunseeker destinations like Mexico and the Caribbean.
“The airline remains focused on knowing where people want to go, and we will continue to fly where there is demand,” a spokeswoman said.
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Canada is the top source of international visitors to the United States.
Trips from Canada to the U.S. are dropping, threatening to widen the United States’ $50 billion travel and tourism deficit. Several other countries have issued travel warnings for travelers considering going to the U.S.
Reached for comment Friday, a White House spokesperson said by email that “everybody wants to come to President Trump’s America.”
And that will soon change to: ''Canada USED TO BE the top source of international visitors to the United States.''
In response to President Trump’s tariff plans at the time, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month urged Canadians to “choose Canada” and suggested “changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations our great country has to offer.”
Although I've been as far west in Canada as Vancouver and places in between, I've only been as far east as Montmorency Falls, which not too far east of Quebec City. If I were to do any summer travelling if I were back in Canada I would take in the Maritime provinces. I will never step one foot in the USA again.
I seen pictures of various parts of Canada-- there's some beautiful scenery! Also I've heard there are a lot of interesting things in Quebec.
Correct on both counts.
The cross-border travel trends and Trump administration’s policies are worrying some in the United States’ travel industry, which draws in more than $1 trillion in direct spending a year.
The U.S. Travel Association said in a statement to CNBC that there is a “a question of America’s welcomeness, a slowing U.S. economy and recent safety concerns.
“These challenges are real and demand decisive action,” the organization, whose members include large hotel groups, airlines and other major travel companies, said, adding that is “actively working with the White House and Congress to advance policies that drive economic expansion and keep the U.S. competitive on the global stage.”
I would venture that the only ''decisive action'' that would be effective would be to boot Trump and his cronies out of the White House.
Well he's certainly pissing off a lot of people with all the people he's firing, as well as putting the economy in a downward spiral.
And making allies who were friends into enemies. I have a feeling that Americans will not be treated so nicely when they travel to foreign countries.