Canadian travel to the United States continued to decline in February, extending a downturn that has now lasted more than a year. The latest figures show that cross border trips by Canadian residents have been falling steadily, marking the 13th consecutive month of decline in visits to the U.S. The trend is drawing increasing attention across the tourism industry because Canada has historically been the largest source of international visitors to the United States.
According to data released by Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians returning from trips to the United States by car dropped 12.9 percent compared with the same month a year earlier. Air travel between the two countries also saw a sharp decrease, with return trips by plane down 17.6 percent year over year. These figures highlight the continued weakening of travel demand between the neighboring countries.
Separate figures cited by tourism analysts also point to a sharp decline in road trips, which traditionally account for the majority of Canadian visits to the United States. According to data released by Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians taking road trips into the U.S. dropped 15 percent last month compared with February 2025 and was down 32 percent compared with the previous year. Road travel has long been the most common way Canadians visit the United States, making the drop particularly significant for tourism markets in border states.
At the same time, the data suggests Canadians have not reduced their overall travel activity. Instead, many travelers appear to be choosing destinations outside the United States. Canadian visits to other international destinations increased by more than seven percent compared with the same period last year, indicating that travel demand remains strong but is being redirected to other countries.
Tourism Impact on Cross Border Travel
The prolonged decline is important for the U.S. travel sector because Canadian visitors represent a large share of international tourism. In the years leading up to 2025, Canadian travelers accounted for roughly one quarter of all foreign visitors entering the United States. Even relatively small changes in Canadian travel patterns can therefore have a noticeable impact on the broader tourism economy.
Tourism organizations have warned that sustained declines in Canadian visitation could translate into billions of dollars in lost spending for the U.S. hospitality sector. Canadian travelers historically contribute significant revenue to hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and retail businesses across the country. Regions located near the Canada–U.S. border are particularly sensitive to changes in cross border travel patterns.
Survey data suggests that traveler sentiment may also be influencing the shift. Research tracking Canadian travel behavior found that nearly one quarter of Canadian travelers reported canceling a previously planned trip to the United States. A majority of respondents also indicated that political tensions, trade disputes, and government policies were factors that made them less likely to travel south in the near future.
Meanwhile, travel flows in the opposite direction have remained comparatively stable. The number of Americans visiting Canada increased slightly in February compared with a year earlier, highlighting the uneven nature of the current travel pattern between the two countries.
With the decline now stretching across more than a year, tourism analysts say the coming travel seasons will be closely watched to determine whether cross border travel between Canada and the United States begins to recover or continues its downward trend.
