Latest data from Statistics Canada shows that the number of Canadian citizens traveling to the United States has plummeted in March this year, marking the third consecutive month of year-on-year decline. Among them, only 1.5 million Canadian citizens returned via land routes, a sharp drop of 31.9% year-on-year, while air passengers also decreased by 13.5%, with only 719,500 people.
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This trend is behind the increasingly strained relations between the US and Canada. US President Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canada and even publicly declared that he wants "to make Canada the 51st state of the United States," which has sparked strong dissatisfaction among Canadian citizens.
Martin Firestone, president of Toronto-based Travel Secure Insurance Company, frankly said: "Nowadays, Canadian citizens are full of resentment towards the United States."
In addition, the sustained weakness of the Canadian dollar, which has recently been around 0.7 USD, has also significantly increased the cost of cross-border consumption, further dampening Canadians' willingness to travel to the US.
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Last week, the Canadian government also issued a travel warning for the US, reminding citizens that they may face stricter customs inspections, including electronic device checks. What's more worrying for Canadian "snowbirds" (retirees who spend winters in the US) is that the US will implement new regulations starting this Friday, requiring foreigners staying more than 30 days to register, otherwise they may face penalties. This policy has already triggered lawsuits from several US rights organizations, which believe its impact goes far beyond Canadian tourists and may affect many foreigners living long-term in the US.
The US side has also noticed the cooling trend in cross-border tourism. Congressional representatives representing northern border states said that since the Trump administration initiated trade disputes, the number of Canadian visitors has clearly decreased. However, Mike Nezgoda, a spokesman for US Customs in New York, believed that the decline in travel numbers was mainly due to the depreciation of the Canadian dollar rather than policy factors. "The inspection process remains normal, as long as you have all your documents, there won't be any problems," he said. "But my Canadian friends complain that it's no longer cost-effective to shop in the US now."
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Interestingly, despite the cooling of travel to the US, Canadians' enthusiasm for outbound tourism has not completely waned. Statistics show that air travel to other countries (excluding the US) has grown by 9% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, Liberal leader Mark Carney has taken advantage of the situation to launch the "Canada Strong Pass," encouraging citizens to explore their own country.
This plan will be implemented from June to August 2025, including free visits to national museums and art galleries for teenagers under 18, as well as free tickets for VIA rail travel with parents.
Carney said this is a move to "unite the public and support domestic tourism under American threats."
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The pass will be sold from June to August 2025, and young Canadians aged 18 to 24 can also enjoy discounted passes and fares.
In addition, the prices of all campgrounds in Canadian national parks will be reduced during June to August so that families can better explore and enjoy Canada.
As part of the plan, the Liberals said that camping fees in national parks would be reduced during the same period to facilitate family outings for outdoor activities. Last week, Carney also announced that he hoped to open national parks and historical sites for free this summer.
Politically, party leaders are preparing for upcoming TV debates. Recently, Carney spoke with NATO Secretary-General, emphasizing that Canada will increase defense spending; Conservative leader Poilievre promised to simplify disability claims processes for veterans if elected; NDP leader Singh continued his campaign activities in Ontario. As the French-language debate on June 12 and the English-language debate on June 13 approach, the policy propositions of each party will face more direct competition.
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Analysts pointed out that, apart from political factors, the slowdown in domestic inflation in Canada (dropped to 4.3% in March) but persistently high food prices (up 9.7% year-on-year) may also prompt more people to choose domestically more cost-effective tourism. In the future, if the US-Canada trade relationship continues to be tense, this travel trend may continue.
Source links:
- https://globalnews.ca/news/11125536/canadian-travel-to-us-down-other-countries-see-increase/
- https://globalnews.ca/news/11128725/mark-carney-canada-strong-pass-kids-free/
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