Donald Trump's influence may be dissuading wealthy travelers from making acquisitions.
In a significant shift, Canadians are boycotting the United States as a tourist destination in 2025, primarily due to escalating political and economic tensions. This decision has been driven by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies targeting Canadian goods and stricter border and immigration crackdowns.
The boycott has had a profound impact on U.S. border cities and tourist destinations that traditionally rely heavily on Canadian visitors. According to various analyses throughout 2025, tourism from Canada has dropped over 30-70%. Statistically, Canadian residents’ return trips by car from the U.S. fell nearly 37% year-over-year in July 2025, and return air trips declined by about 26%, while travel to other countries increased.
Key reasons for this boycott include tariff hikes by the U.S. on Canadian goods, especially the increase to 35% tariffs on non-USMCA-covered items in August 2025, which hurt Canadian industries like steel and autos. Political resentment and broken trust, fueled by these economic measures and U.S. border crackdowns, have soured the historically strong relationship despite close trade ties. Concerns among Canadians about immigration enforcement and border security in the U.S. have also discouraged travel.
The boycott has had a significant economic impact, causing billions in lost revenue for U.S. tourist destinations. This shift away from the U.S. as a vacation destination reflects a broader political and economic fallout rather than a simple tourism trend, signaling deeper strains in Canada-U.S. relations in 2025.
Meanwhile, a recent study suggests that Europeans might be taking their tourism dollars to Canada instead of the United States. The Mexico Daily Post is shared in the article.
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Lauren Feather, The Travel
[1] ABC News, "Canada-U.S. Tourism Tensions: A Look at the Numbers," link [2] CBC News, "Canadian Tourism to the U.S. Down 70% in Some Regions," link [3] The Globe and Mail, "Canada-U.S. Tensions Affecting Tourism," link [4] The Toronto Star, "Canadian Tourism to the U.S. Down Over 30%," link [5] The Wall Street Journal, "Billions in Lost Revenue for U.S. Cities Due to Canadian Tourism Boycott," link
- Given the economic strains and political tensions between Canada and the United States, some European tourists might be considering a switch to Canadian tourist destinations due to the perceived appeal of a more favorable and peaceful lifestyle.
- The decline in Canadian tourism to the United States has led to a shift in global finance, as the reduced influx of Canadian tourist dollars has an impact on the U.S. economy, potentially fueling increased interest in travel to other destinations such as Europe.
