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."