The number of Canadian residents visiting the U.S by vehicle dropped by about 25 per cent in February compared with a year earlier, a sign that Canadians are cutting back on U.S. travel.
Data released by Statistics Canada March 10 show that 1.16 million Canadian residents made return trips from the U.S. in February, compared with 1.5 million in February 2024 and far below the pre-pandemic 1.7 million in 2020.
This comes weeks after consistent threats of tariffs, inflammatory comments and social media posts and comments on potential annexation by the U.S President.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the tariffs by urging Canadians to choose to buy Canadian products and take their vacations at home.
“We are a country that will be diplomatic when we can, but fight when we must, elbows up,” Trudeau said during the Liberal Leadership campaign.
“Now is the time to choose Canada … It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations our great country has to offer,” he said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dismissed the boycott, pointing to the 3.3 million Canadians who visited the Sunshine State in 2024.
“That’s not much of a boycott in my book. Maybe they wanted to get a glimpse of what a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team actually looks like,” DeSantis said during an address to lawmakers in Tallahassee, though the boycott movement did not start until 2025.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, an organization that advocates for the American travel industry, a 10 per cent dip in inbound travel from Canada could translate to $2.1 billion U.S. in lost spending and jeopardize 140,000 American jobs.
They had previously estimated 21.5 million Canadian visitors to the U.S. in 2025 – a 5 per cent increase over the last year. Instead, there was a 25 per cent decrease in Canadians coming to the United States compared to January and February of last year.
NDP MP Charlie Angus, who had announced he will not be running again in the next election, has been vocal about boycott.
“Tomorrow is the national boycott of all things American and capitalist American, but the boycott of Amazon has to be more than one day. It has to be a total full-on boycott. And we’re calling on the federal government to show up as well,” Angus said at a press conference on Parliament Hill in February.
A new policy came into effect under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), to enforce immigration laws under section one of Trump’s executive order.
The policy would have Canadians register if they are south of the border for more than 30 days.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says “every alien now or hereafter in the United States” who is 14 years or older and who is going to remain in the U.S. for 30 days or longer must “apply for registration and to be fingerprinted before the expiration of such thirty days.”
However, on March 12, the DHS’s final rule exempts Canadian travellers to the U.S. from the fingerprint requirements. It is expected to be put in force on April. 11.
