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Canadians Are Boycotting American Vacations

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WSJ

Mar 25, 2025 08:20 AM IST

Infuriated by annexation talk, neighbors to the north are keeping their vacations local. That’s bad news for popular U.S. destinations.

Canadians have long been the top international travelers to the U.S. Now, they are staying home.

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Canadians Are Boycotting American Vacations

After President Trump said he would impose tariffs on Canada, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encouraged Canadians to change their vacation plans to focus on exploring sites within the country. It worked.

Canadian residents returned from 13% fewer trips by air to the U.S. in February than they did a year ago, according to preliminary data from Statistics Canada. Land border crossings fell, too, with Statistics Canada reporting February’s Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. dropped 23% from a year earlier.

More than the tariff threats, Canadians say President Trump’s threats of annexation have infuriated and scared them, so much so that they won’t cross the border to spend time or money. Recent news about lengthy detentions for tourists and green-card holders has further deterred would-be travelers.

A boycott by the top international visitor threatens to upend local economies across the U.S. Canadians made about 20.2 million visits to the U.S. in 2024. Even a 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean $2 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses, according to the U.S. Travel Association trade group.

The administration has held firm on its messaging. “Canadians will no longer have to worry about the inconveniences of international travel when they become American citizens as residents of our cherished 51st state,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in an email.

Canadian Cancellations

Craig Treulieb, a 34-year-old senior software developer from Ontario, and his wife planned to go to Arizona in May to celebrate her completing a career change. They spent about $3,500 on flights, hotels, an Airbnb booking and a rental car, with plans to spend freely on food and excursions during the nearly two-week trip.

Craig Treulieb and his wife visited Washington, D.C., in 2023.

On Feb. 8, the day after Trudeau told business leaders that Trump might be serious about annexing Canada, they canceled the trip. They lost about $500 on hotels, but were able to get credits or refunds on the other purchases and will instead travel to British Columbia.

“I don’t feel right spending my money there,” he says of the U.S., noting the annexation threats from Trump feel very serious to Canadians.

The full effects might not become apparent for months. While some travelers have canceled U.S. bookings, many say they hadn’t yet booked stateside travel but have now chosen other destinations.

Krunal Patel, a 40-year-old art teacher from Vancouver, had plans to travel to Las Vegas with seven friends this October. They hadn’t yet booked plane tickets or hotel rooms, but were finalizing dates for the trip when Trump began escalating his language about tariffs and annexation.

The news of a Canadian actress being detained solidified their decision to travel elsewhere, he says. “We felt like, ‘What if we were coming back and not everything was correct so we were put in a detention facility for a while?’ We just felt uneasy.”

The group now plans to travel to Spain.

Benoit Demeule during a road trip through Vermont.

Air Travel

The Canadian airlines have reduced their seat capacity to the U.S. by an average of 6.1% for April, May and June, compared with their Jan. 31 schedules, according to Cirium, an aviation-analytics company.

Calgary-based WestJet says it has “observed a shift in bookings from the U.S. to other sun destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean among Canadian travelers.” Edmonton-based Flair Airlines will stop flying from Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary to Phoenix next month and won’t bring back its seasonal route from Toronto to Nashville this year.

Canadian arrivals declined 9.4% in February to Las Vegas, compared with a year ago, federal air-travel data show, and dropped 11% for Newark and the New York airports. But the decline wasn’t universal. Arrivals to Phoenix rose 15% year-over-year.

The strength of the U.S. dollar, which reduces Canadians’ purchasing power, is also playing a role in helping Canadians reconsider. In Whitefish, Mont., which is just 60 miles from the border of British Columbia, spending by Canadians was down 14% in January compared with a year ago, says Brian Schott, a communications contractor for the Whitefish Convention & Visitors Bureau.

He says that in recent weeks, Canadians have cited the rhetoric out of Washington as part of their reason for canceling.

Consumers have embraced a “Buy Canadian” movement for grocery and other retail purchases. The decision to spend less in the U.S. affects day trips, which are critical to places like Buffalo, N.Y.

Bridge traffic for the four bridges that connect into Erie and Niagara County is down 14% for February compared with a year ago, says Patrick Kaler, chief executive of Visit Buffalo Niagara. Canadian traffic to the destination’s website is down 52% since the tariff discussion began.

Canadians make up 35% to 40% of annual visitation to Buffalo. The city hopes to bring back its “Buffalo Loves Canada” marketing campaign when the timing is right, Kaler said. “We want to be respectful of the situation and let them know that we get it,” he said.

Benoit Demeule, a 53-year-old branch manager for a sealing company, lives about an hour from the U.S. border on the south shore of Montréal. He regularly traveled to Vermont, Maine and New York, and has ridden his motorcycle extensively across the U.S.

He says he won’t be back any time soon. He canceled plans to ride from Boston to New Brunswick this summer, primarily because he feels a violation of trust, security and values.

His shift isn’t about tariffs, Demeule says.

“It’s as if a longtime friend suddenly stabbed us in the back for no reason,” he says.

Write to Allison Pohle at allison.pohle@wsj.com

Canadians Are Boycotting American Vacations

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