Stay or Go? Canadians Divided on U.S. Travel Under Trump

Montreal resident and visa holder Ash shook her head in disappointment when asked if she and her husband would proceed with their plans to visit family in the United States this summer.

“No. The more my husband and I watched the news, the more we were reticent to go. Especially when we heard about Canadians getting detained at the border. We’re waiting for things to settle down before making the trip,” she said.

Ash is not alone. In March 2025, the number of Canadians entering the U.S. by car dropped 32% compared to March 2024, the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic. Air travel saw a 13.5% decline over the same period.

Many Canadians are choosing to skip trips to the United States amidst tariff tensions under the Trump administration and frustration over President Trump’s incessant comments about making Canada the 51st state, which implies Canada’s subordination to the U.S.

For some, the anxiety is triggered by specific incidents, like Jasmine Mooney‘s case. The 35-year-old B.C. woman was detained for 11 days after attempting to re-enter the U.S. with a new visa through Mexico. Her mother claims Mooney was treated inhumanely during detention and criticizes the lack of communication.

However, not everyone is discouraged. Montreal resident Amanda, for instance, won’t miss her brother’s graduation from the University of Pennsylvania: “If it wasn’t for such a personal and important event, I wouldn’t have chosen to go. I’m comfortable going because I’m a Canadian citizen and not dependent on any student visas.”

Tourists aren’t the only Canadians hesitating to travel to the United States. Snowbirds, or Canadians who spend winters in warm U.S. states like Florida and Arizona, are selling their homes in record numbers, driven by a weak Canadian dollar, soaring insurance costs, and political tensions, though not all are giving up their second homes.

Allan, a snowbird who spends most of the year in Montreal but heads to Florida during the colder months, isn’t planning to sell his second home or stop his trips across the border: “We’re not quite sure when the rhetoric could actually become real. Right now, it’s just bombast and fearmongering, with political parties using that rhetoric to their own ends, which I guess they always do. I have yet to see any reason not to keep going.”

In 2024, Canadian travelers spent $20.5 billion traveling to the United States. A drop in Canadian travel to the U.S. this summer could have dire repercussions on the American tourism industry.