Data from Statistics Canada has shown that Canadian residents made 383,700 return trips by air to the United States in July 2025 — 25.8% fewer than that time last year.Automobile crossings saw an even steeper decline, down 36.9% to just under 1.7 million trips.The decrease follows months of sustained declines, a trend that began in early 2025. This steady slump in southbound travel represents one of the most sustained declines in cross-border movement in recent years. While travel between the two countries rebounded strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers suggest a cooling period..For Dylan, a Canadian who previously travelled to the US frequently but no longer does, the reason is political. “The states have some great cultural centres that I’ve been lucky enough to visit over the years, like New Orleans, New York, or Orlando, but the tension that this new Trump administration has manufactured has made travelling south a much more stressful and daunting idea," he to the Western Standard. "I’ve thought about going to see some broadway shows in New York or even going to Disney World, but navigating the current political minefield seems too overwhelming."In contrast to Canadian’s overall unwillingness to travel south, US to Canada trends in July showed mixed results. Air arrivals edged up 0.7% year-over-year, while automobile entries fell 7.4%.If the decline persists, it could have ripple effects on tourism-dependent US regions such as Florida, Arizona, California, and New York, all of which rely heavily on Canadian visitors.The August 2025 data is set to be released by Statistics Canada on September 10, providing a clearer picture of whether this downward trend in southbound travel will persist through the summer.
