U.S. policies, politics continuing to discourage Canadian visitors: Study

In its latest tracking study of Canadian travellers, Longwoods International reports that 63% of those travellers are less likely to visit the U.S. because of U.S. policy and politics.

Of those Canadian travellers whose travel decisions are being influenced U.S. policy and politics, 80% cited U.S. tariffs and economic policy as a negative influence, while 71% pointed to political statements by U.S. leaders as a negative factor, up from 64% in April.

The tracking study also found that Canadians had negative reactions to political discontent in the U.S., U.S. rhetoric about Canadian sovereignty and U.S. positions on various social issues.

Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International, observed that: “More than 20 million Canadians visited the U.S. in 2024, more than from any other country. But Canadian visitation to the U.S. in 2025 dropped 19% through June, compared to the same period in 2024.”

Longwoods Internationals also found that of those Canadian travellers concerned about U.S. policy and political rhetoric, 42% of them are replacing trips to the U.S. with travel in Canada. Another 30% are opting for other international destinations rather than the U.S., with Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean topping the list of alternate destinations.

The tracking also reported an ‘escalating political influence,’ finding that the impact of political factors on travel decisions increased from April to July. Political statements by U.S. leaders became more influential (+7.4 points), as did overall political discontent within the U.S. (+4.0 points), and sovereignty rhetoric by U.S. leaders (+4.5 points), showing that high-profile political dynamics are increasingly discouraging Canadian visits.

There was also a ‘perception gap,’ that showed that while 84% of Canadians acknowledge the U.S. offers abundant attractions, only 36% perceive it as welcoming to travellers of diverse backgrounds and 43% feel welcomed as Canadians, revealing a substantial gap remains between destination appeal and hospitality perceptions that emerged in the Spring survey.

Go to https://longwoods-intl.com/case-studies/canadian-travel-sentiment-towards-the-u-s-august-2025-update/ for more highlights and insights from the study.