Canadians Bolt for the Border: US Travel Boycott Intensifies, Carving Deep into Spring Visits

The decline in the number of Canadians traveling to the U.S. It continued into April with even more significant reductions in both car and air travel.
New figures from Statistics Canada reveal that the number of Canadians travelling to the U.S. by car, The favoured means of transportation for most Canadians who visited decreased by 35 percent in April when compared to the corresponding period from the previous year. Additionally, air travel saw a reduction of 20 percent in April as opposed to April 2024.
U.S. visits from Canadian travelers have decreased for four consecutive months, with car trips dropping by 32% in March and 23% in February, whereas air travel saw a decline of 14%. and 2.4 percent during those respective months, Forbes noted.
A mere 10 percent decline in Canadian tourism might result in $2.1 billion less spent and potentially jeopardize 140,000 jobs, as stated by the U.S. Travel Association.
Fewer Americans also traveled to Canada last month, with car trips decreasing 11 percent and air travel 6 percent, Statistics Canada data showed.
The United States is seeing a substantial decline in international tourism this year. Visitors from Canada form the biggest contingent among foreign travelers to the US, representing approximately one-fourth of all overseas guests, as reported by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO).
Mexico Next up on the list, though 23 percent fewer individuals journeyed to the U.S. from that nation in March as opposed to the previous year.
In the same month, tourist arrivals from nearly all parts of the globe to the U.S. dropped. There was a seventeen percent reduction in visitors arriving from. Europe , travel from the Caribbean dropped by 26 percent, travel from Central America decreased 24 percent, and 11 percent fewer people came to the U.S. from South America . In addition, 10 percent fewer came to the U.S. from Africa , travel from Oceania fell by 8 percent, and travel from Asia fell by one percentage point, as stated by the NTTO.
The USTA projects that the United States could suffer a loss of $1.8 billion annually in travel-linked export earnings for every one percent reduction in expenditure by foreign tourists. Should travel to America keep declining, the country might miss out on at least $21 billion in tourism exports.
The Canadian travel boycott of the U.S. started in early February following actions taken by President Donald Trump disclosed that he planned to enforce tariffs on the nation. Additionally, he warned of potentially incorporating Canada as the 51st state and made reference to what was then known as the Prime Minister. Justin Trudeau as “governor.”
Before stepping down in March, Trudeau advised his citizens against traveling to the United States. Some Canadians are also concerned about potential wrongful detention by U.S. immigration officials.
However, Canadians have not ceased their travels; they just aren't heading to the U.S.
In the first-quarter earnings call, Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, stated, “While Canadians are reducing their travel to the U.S., they seem to be opting for trips to Mexico right now."
"We remain indifferent to which part of Canada people are exploring since typically they spend similar amounts, simply choosing different destinations," he explained.
We observe that Canadians are significantly less likely to travel to the U.S., however, they are opting for more domestic trips, visiting Mexico, and heading elsewhere. Brazil , they’re going to France , they’re going to Japan … they are just choosing different destinations,” the chief financial officer at AirBnb Ellie Mertz told investors, according to Forbes .
Since 1986, The Independent has campaigned for what we believe in, not what we are told to believe, with integrity, inclusion, innovation and independence as our guiding principles.
Post a Comment for "Canadians Bolt for the Border: US Travel Boycott Intensifies, Carving Deep into Spring Visits"