Travel Between the U.S. and Canada Continues Sharp Decline

Travel between the United States and Canada continues to fall, with new data showing a sustained drop in cross-border movement by both Canadian and American residents.

According to the latest travel report released by Statistics Canada, return automobile trips by Canadian residents to the United States declined in December for the 12th consecutive month. A total of 1.3 million return trips were recorded, marking a 30.7 per cent decrease compared to the same month last year.

Air travel has also seen a notable reduction. Canadian residents made 470,700 return air trips from the U.S. in December — a decline of 18.7 per cent year-on-year. In contrast, return trips from countries other than the United States increased by 10.4 per cent, reaching 1.1 million trips.

The trend is mirrored on the U.S. side, though declines are less severe. Arrivals to Canada by U.S. residents fell 8.9 per cent by air, while automobile travel dropped by nine per cent. Meanwhile, visits to Canada by non-U.S. international travellers rose by 6.6 per cent compared to December 2024.

Analysts note that the ongoing decline in cross-border travel coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January last year and subsequent trade tensions and tariff threats directed at Canada. These developments appear to have dampened travel demand between the two neighbouring countries, even as international travel from other regions continues to rebound.