More Canadians now cancelling U.S. travel plans

The U.S. President’s annexation threats and his tariffs have caused many Canadians to ditch plans to visit south of the border, reports The Globe and Mail.

The boycott is causing pain for U.S. businesses that depend on tourism. By keeping up the pressure, Canadians can spur American business owners to push back on Trump. It’s another front in the trade war, adding to official retaliation such as dollar-for-dollar tariffs and the buy-Canadian movement that is sweeping through this country’s retail sector.

In February, the number of Canadian residents returning by automobile from the U.S.–-1.2 million, was a 23 per cent drop from the same month in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Canadian airlines are seeing drops in cross-border bookings, with WestJet pulling some routes to the U.S. Tourism firms in the U.S. say bookings from Canada have dramatically slowed and cancellations have increased.

A 10 per cent drop in Canadian travel would amount to US$2.1-billion in lost spending, and could result in the loss of 14,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Florida is likely to feel the most pain, given the state is the top destination for Canadian travellers. As a Republican held “red state,” it has strong connections with the new government.

Some business and family trips to the U.S. can’t be avoided, but vacations, shopping trips and other discretionary travel can be cut.

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