Canadian Travel to U.S. Declines as More Americans Visit Canada, New Data Shows

New data released by Statistics Canada indicates a continued decline in the number of Canadians travelling to the United States, while visits by U.S. residents to Canada have begun to rise after nearly a year of steady drops.

According to the report, Canadian residents made approximately 1.5 million return trips from the United States in February 2026. This marks a significant decline of 14.5 percent compared with the same month in 2025.

At the same time, travel in the opposite direction showed signs of recovery. Statistics Canada reported that trips to Canada by U.S. residents increased by 6.1 percent year-over-year, reaching about 959,600 visits in February. This is the first annual increase recorded after 12 consecutive months of declining travel from the United States.

While travel to the U.S. has slowed, Canadians continue to travel internationally. The report notes that Canadian residents returning from overseas destinations by air totaled roughly 1.3 million in February 2026, representing a 7.2 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

For the second month in a row, more Canadians returned from overseas destinations by air than from the United States by automobile. Statistics Canada recorded about 1.3 million air arrivals from overseas compared with 1.0 million return trips from the U.S. by car.

Analysts suggest the drop in cross-border travel may be linked to ongoing political and economic tensions between the two countries. The shift began in early 2025 following trade disputes and controversial remarks from the American administration about Canada’s political status.

Meanwhile, U.S. travellers are showing renewed interest in visiting Canada. Of the 959,600 trips recorded in February, about 720,400 were made by automobile, an increase of 6.4 percent from the previous year. Air travel from the United States to Canada also rose by 4.9 percent, totaling around 239,200 trips.

Travel patterns during the month showed noticeable peaks around the U.S. President’s Day weekend. The highest daily arrival numbers were recorded on Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14, ahead of the holiday on February 16. The lowest number of arrivals occurred on Tuesday, February 3.

Statistics Canada also pointed to a sharper long-term decline in Canadian travel to the United States. When comparing February 2024 with February 2026, travel by Canadians to the U.S. dropped by 31.5 percent.

Both major travel modes automobile and air recorded year-over-year decreases in February 2026 compared with February 2025.

At the same time, Canada has seen growth in visitors from other parts of the world. Overseas resident trips to Canada rose by 10.5 percent compared with February last year, with most of those visitors arriving by air.

Public sentiment may also be playing a role in changing travel behavior. A July 2025 Ipsos poll conducted for Global News found that roughly three-quarters of Canadians planned to avoid travelling to the United States. The survey also showed that 72 percent of respondents intended to avoid purchasing American-made products.

Additional data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics indicated a similar trend. More than 18 million Canadian personal vehicles entered the United States during the reporting period, representing an 18.8 percent drop compared with the previous year, when more than 26 million Canadian vehicles crossed the border.

Pedestrian crossings from Canada into the United States also declined by 15.4 percent.

Despite the decline in travel, diplomatic communication between the two countries continues. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke recently about economic issues, developments in the Middle East, and ongoing trade relations.

However, tensions remain visible. In a recent post on his social media platform, Trump referred to Carney as the “future Governor of Canada,” a remark made while discussing cooperation with U.S. governors on efforts to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian carp.

The evolving political climate and shifting public attitudes appear to be influencing travel patterns between the two neighboring countries, with Canadians increasingly looking beyond the United States for their international trips.