Travelore News: Canadian Interest In U.S. Travel Improves Modestly

According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of Canadian travelers, 56% of them do not intend to travel to the U.S. in the next 12 months, down from 61% in April. Of those Canadian travelers whose travel decisions are being influenced by U.S. policies and politics, 76% cited U.S. tariffs and economic policies as a negative influence, while 69% pointed to political statements by U.S. leaders as a negative factor. Canadian travelers also had negative reactions to political discontent in the U.S., U.S. rhetoric about Canadian sovereignty and U.S. positions on various social issues.

“The slight improvement in potential Canadian travel to the U.S. is encouraging,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “But the U.S. Travel Association predicts that international visitation to the U.S. will decline from 72.4 million in 2024 to 67.9 million this year largely because of fewer Canadian arrivals.”

The percentage of Canadian travelers postponing their U.S. trip declined to 22%, down from 29% in April. At the same time, more travelers are shortening their U.S. trips, 15% vs 10% in April.

The survey was fielded October 9 to 15, 2025 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 Canadian adults, ages 18 and over. The sample is representative of Canadian demographics for age, gender and province.

Longwoods International is a leading travel and tourism research consultancy with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and Toronto Canada, and offices in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. It conducts Longwoods Travel USA®, the largest ongoing survey of American travelers, as well as image, advertising effectiveness, advertising return on investment, sentiment, and other custom research in 12 countries around the globe.

More Information – Longwoods International: https://longwoods-intl.com/

Canadian Tourists To The U.S. Were Down Nearly 40% In May, New Data Says

In recent years, Canadian tourists have made up roughly one-quarter of all foreign travelers who come to the United States, according to the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO). Last year, Canadian tourists vacationing in the U.S. spent $20.5 billion. To put that number into context, it is nearly double the $10.4 billion Americans spent at McDonald’s during all of 2024.

Canada’s leadership warned residents against traveling to the U.S. in early February, after 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 vacation south of the border, and repeated that call to action through April, when he left office. Three-quarters (75%) of Canadians who had been planning a trip to the U.S. say the tariff announcements have influenced their plans, and over half (56%) who had planned to visit the U.S. have decided to travel elsewhere, according to a survey by Leger Marketing of over 1,500 Canadian adults fielded mid-May.

Are Canadians Traveling Less This Summer?

No. Over half of Canadians (55%) plan to take a leisure trip this summer, up from 47% who planned a summer trip in 2024, according to the Leger Marketing poll. Only 10% of Canadians plan to travel to the U.S. this summer compared to 23% last year. In contrast, Canadians’ domestic travel intentions are soaring, with 77% planning to stay within Canada (up from 69% in 2024). Compared to before President Trump’s tariffs were introduced, more Canadians are likely to travel within their home province (48% vs. 38% pre-tariffs) or to another Canadian province (42%, up from 30%).

Are Tourists From Other Countries Also Steering Clear Of The U.S. This Year?

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,” Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, told Forbes. “Given trends in our pre-Inauguration forecast, we were expecting a 9% increase in international visitors this year,” Sacks said. “So the full way to appreciate the loss is relative to the growth that would have happened based on the ongoing recovery that was expected, because we're still well below 2019 levels.” Considering 2025 was forecast to be a big growth year for international inbound visitors, the true loss for the U.S. is far bigger. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts an even bigger decline in tourism revenue for the U.S., forecasting a loss of $12.5 billion in international visitor spending in 2025.

Big Number

$1.8 billion. That’s how much in export revenue is lost for every 1% drop in international visitor spending, according to the USTA. If the downward trajectory continues through the end of the year, the country stands to lose at least $21 billion in travel-related exports.

Tangent

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) has proposed slashing the budget of Brand USA, the country’s public-private destination marketing organization, from $100 million to $20 million. The USTA said it is “deeply concerned” about the proposal, saying such drastic cuts would “significantly impact every sector of our industry.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/

Canada’s Snowbirds Reconsider Calling The US Their Second Home

Sharon Savoy, a 65-year-old retiree from just outside of Toronto, had planned a typical three-month stay at her vacation home in Miami earlier this month. But then she abruptly decided to put the trip on hold, and now she wonders when she’ll ever go back to her second home.

Tariffs to be placed on Canada and other U.S. trading partners may significantly impact Florida's tourism industry. STRF/STAR MAX/IPx/AP

“I should be there right now,” Savoy told CNN. “But we’re trying to debate whether or not it’s a good idea to go.”

Savoy is one of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who make their home in warmer parts of the United States during Canada’s colder months. In fact, Canadians are the top foreign buyers of US properties — making up 13% of all home purchases in 2024, mostly concentrated in Florida and Arizona — according to a July report from the National Association of Realtors.

But as trade tensions grow between the two countries, many Canadians have taken the conflict to heart, loudly booing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting events and boycotting US-made products. Some Canadian snowbirds are reconsidering their lives in the United States altogether. US-based Realtors in Arizona and Florida told CNN they are fielding calls from Canadians looking to sell their homes, and recent data shows Canadian tourism to the United States has slowed to a trickle.

Stephen Fine, the president of Snowbird Advisor, a Canadian company that provides real estate, legal and insurance guidance to Canadians who travel south for the winter, said many of his company’s members feel “angry, upset, disappointed and frustrated.”

“A number of them are considering alternative destinations to the US next year. Some want to sell their US properties,” Fine said.

Savoy said that although she loves her Miami home, she is putting off a visit to show solidarity with her fellow Canadians.

“I’m in these snowbird groups where people have been saying we shouldn’t be spending money in the US,” she said. “I don’t want my country to feel like I’m betraying them during this threatening time.”

Economic fallout from tariffs

A drop-off in Canadian tourism could bruise the US tourism industry.

Canada is the top source of international visitors to the United States, according to the US Travel Association. A hypothetical 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses.

There are already signs of a slowdown: Canadian residents made 13% fewer trips by air to the United States in February and 23% fewer trips by car, compared to a year ago, according to Statistics Canada, Canada’s national statistical office.

Flight reservations from Canada to the United States have plummeted by more than 70% every month from March through the end of September, according to OAG, a travel data provider.

Share Ross, a Realtor based in southeast Florida, said she’s recently seen a sharp uptick in Canadians listing their Florida homes for sale.

“Some of the clients I have been dealing with want to sell at any cost, even at a loss,” Ross said.

Rental properties have also experienced a steep decline in demand this year, she said.

“The Canadian market for rentals is just done,” said Ross. “I usually get a few people from various provinces looking for homes to rent. I didn’t have any this season.”

A growing exodus of Canadians from Florida could strain the state’s already troubled housing market. Florida currently has a record number of homes for sale as homeowners face skyrocketing insurance premiums and a growing risk of hurricane-induced flooding fueled by climate change.

The drop-off in travel from Canada to the United States comes amid a bubbling tit-for-tat trade squabble between the two nations. The latest blow came this past week: US President Donald Trump said he would place a 25% tariff on all auto imports, which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called a “direct attack” in violation of US trade agreements with Canada.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration officially placed a 25% tariff on most of the other imports from Canada and Mexico. The president also ramped up threats to annex Canada and make it the 51st state. Canada responded by announcing retaliatory tariffs on billions of dollars worth of American goods, though the trade war threatens to plunge Canada’s economy into a recession.

“It is clear that the United States is no longer a reliable partner,” Carney said Thursday, adding that Canada would look to shift to trading more with other countries.

To sell or not to sell?

Miles Zimbaluk, an Arizona-based Realtor who offers cross-border real estate guidance for Canadians looking to buy and sell US property, said he believes politics isn’t the only thing motivating more Canadians to list their properties for sale.

Zimbaluk said a weakened Canadian dollar has factored into some snowbirds’ decision-making process. Last month, the Canadian dollar fell to its lowest level against the US dollar since 2003, meaning that everyday goods like groceries and gas have become significantly more expensive for Canadians. It also means that Canadians stand to make a profit by moving their money from the United States to Canada.

“There are people cashing in now and taking that dollar back to Canada and converting it back to Canadian dollars,” Zimbaluk said. “We’ve definitely seen a big uptick in people wanting to sell their homes for a lot of different reasons right now.”

Savoy, the Toronto-based retiree, said she isn’t quite ready to put her Miami home up for sale.

“I enjoy my life there. Miami has some great nightlife and beautiful beaches. It’s got everything you need, and I’ve never had any issues,” she said. “But if things continue to get worse, I will be selling my home in the USA. Not because I’m afraid of being there, but because, why would I want to do business there?”

https://www.cnn.com/profiles/samantha-delouya

Tourists Are Cancelling Trips To The US – Here’s Where They Are Going Instead

European countries have issued specific travel warnings to transgender and non-binary citizens.

The United States is one of the top three most visited countries in the world.

The big draw cards – cities such as San Francisco, New York and Chicago and national parks such as Yosemite – have attracted international tourists for decades. This combined with its role as a global business powerhouse meant it had 66.5 million visitors in 2023 – and the 2024 figure is expected to be higher still.

But a lot has changed in recent months, and 2025’s figures may not be as strong. The 2024 reelection of Donald Trump as the president of the United States and the consequential changes in foreign diplomacy and relations, alongside internal cultural shifts, are starting to change global attitudes towards the US – attitudes that appear to be affecting tourists’ desire to visit the US.

In a recent report by research firm Tourism Economics, inbound travel to the US is now projected to decline by 5.5% this year, instead of growing by nearly 9% as had previously been forecast. A further escalation in tariff and trade wars could result in further reductions in international tourism, which could amount to a US$18 billion (£13.8 billion) annual reduction in tourist spending in 2025.

There is already some evidence of travel cancellations. Since Trump announced 25% tariffs on many Canadian goods, the number of Canadians driving across the border at some crossings has fallen by up to 45%, on some days, when compared to last year. Canada is the biggest source of international tourists to the US. Air Canada has announced it is reducing flights to some US holiday destinations, including Las Vegas, from March, as demand reduces.

According to a March poll by Canadian market researcher Leger, 36% of Canadians who had planned trips to the United States had already cancelled them. According to data from the aviation analytics company OAG, passenger bookings on Canada to US routes are down by over 70% compared to the same period last year. This comes after the U.S. Travel Association warned that even a 10% reduction in Canadian inbound travel could result in a US$2.1 billion (£1.6 billion) loss in spending, putting 140,000 hospitality jobs at risk.

Some would-be visitors have cited an unwelcoming political climate as part of a concern about visiting the US – including angry rhetoric about foreigners, migrants and the LGBTQ+ community. The Tourism Economics report also cited “polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric” as a factor in travel cancellations.

There are other factors that may influence travellers from, for instance, western Europe, which represented 37% of overseas travel to the US last year. These include US tariffs pushing prices up at home and the US administration’s perceived alignment with Russia in the war in Ukraine.

Research by YouGov in March found that western European attitudes towards the US have become more negative since Trump’s reelection last November. More than half of people in Britain (53%), Germany (56%), Sweden (63%) and Denmark (74%) now have an unfavourable opinion of the US. In five of the seven countries polled, figures for US favourability are at the lowest since polling began in November 2016.

Some high-profile cases at the US border could also be putting off tourists. In March, a British woman was handcuffed and detained for more than ten days by US Customs Enforcement after a visa problem. In the same month, a Canadian tourist was detained after attempting to renew her visa at the US-Mexico border. During the 12-day detention, she was held in crowded jail cells and even put in chains.

Mexico is the US’s second largest inbound travel market. Tourism Economics suggests that issues around new border enforcement rules will raise concerns with potential Mexican tourists. During Trump’s first term in office, Mexican visits to the US fell by 3%. In February this year, air travel from Mexico had already fallen 6% when compared to 2024.

Many countries including Canada have been updating their travel advice for the US. For instance, on March 15 the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its advice for the US, warning visitors that “you may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules”. The previous version of advice, from February, had no mention of arrest or detention. Germany has made similar updates to its travel advisory, after several Germans were recently detained for weeks by US border officials.

Multiple European countries, including France, Germany, Denmark and Norway have also issued specific travel warnings to transgender and non-binary citizens, as US authorities demand tourists declare their biological sex at birth on visa applications. This comes as the US has stopped issuing of passports with a X marker – commonly used by those identifying as non-binary – for its own citizens.

As thousands of travellers cancel their trips to the US, other destinations are seeing a spike in interest. Hotels in Bermuda have reported a surge in enquiries as Canadians relocate business and leisure trips away from the US, with some predicting a 20% increase in revenue from Canadian visits.

Europe too has reported increased bookings from Canada, with rental properties experiencing a 32% jump in summer reservations when compared to last year, according to some reports.

There are already growing concerns that visa and entry restrictions will disrupt fans and athletes from enjoying 2026 men’s Fifa World Cup, held on sites in the US, Canada and Mexico. Visitors from some countries, such as Brazil, Turkey and Colombia, could wait up to 700 days to obtain visas. The International Olympic Committee has also raised concerns over the 2028 Olympics Games in Los Angeles, although US officials have insisted that “America will be open”.

With mounting visa delays, stricter border enforcement and growing concerns over human rights and anti-minority rhetoric, the United States risks losing its appeal as a top holiday destination. The long-term impact on its tourism industry may prove difficult to reverse.

https://www.independent.co.uk/author/ross-bennett-cook