Tariffs, Politics continue to be a drag on Canadian visits to the U.S.

According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of Canadian travellers, 59% of those travellers report that U.S. government policies, trade practices and political statements make them less likely to travel to the U.S. in the next 12 months. That’s up from 53% last October, but down from a peak of 63% in July 2025.

Of those Canadians whose travel is being influenced by U.S. policies, 73% said that both tariffs and statements by U.S. political leaders were the primary negative influences on their travel plans.

Key takeaways from Longwood International’s latest tracking study include:

• Lack of Significant Improvement in Intent to Travel to the U.S.:  45% of Canadian travellers surveyed report that they intend to travel to the U.S. within the next twelve months, which is practically unchanged from October 2025 (44%).   Of those, 9 % indicate they have already booked a trip to the U.S. (down 4 points from October), which shows a continued hesitancy in the marketplace.
• Cancellation of Travel Plans Persists:  In the past six months, 23% of Canadian travellers surveyed said they have canceled a previously planned trip to the U.S.  Looking ahead, the numbers are more optimistic with 9% indicating they had cancelled plans they had already booked to travel to the U.S. in the next twelve months.  This is significantly down from 36% in April of 2025.
• Less Feeling Safe, and Only Marginally More Welcome:  Perhaps the most concerning insight is that only 35% of those surveyed perceive that the U.S. is a “safe place to visit.”  This is down eight points from 43% back in April of 2025!  As for “feeling welcome”, the news is slightly more positive with 46% of Canadian travellers agreeing (up 4 points from April 2025), but still shy of a majority.  The most positive news is that 88% of Canadian travellers still see the U.S. as a place with “lots of things to see and do,” pointing to its product still being very much desirable.
• Policy and Politics Continue to Deter Visits to the U.S.:  59% of Canadian travellers surveyed report that U.S. government policies, trade practices, or political rhetoric make them less likely to travel to the U.S. — up from 53% in October, and a bit down from a peak of 63% in July of 2025.  The share saying U.S. policies have no influence on their intent remains the same as in October 2025 at 23%.
• Domestic Travel Remains Top Alternative to Visiting the U.S.:  45% of Canadian travellers now say they would substitute a planned U.S. trip with a domestic trip — up from 37% in October of 2025.  24% are shifting to international destinations with Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean reported as the top alternative international destinations.
• It’s the Economy Too:  45% of Canadian travellers surveyed indicate that the exchange rate between the Canadian and U.S. dollar is also causing them to change their travel plans!  This number has held steady from previous waves of the survey pointing to a likelihood that the policies, politics, and rhetoric have been a tipping point for many Canadian travellers who were already on the fence about their travels to the U.S. due to the economics of the trip.

Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International, observed that: “Political disputes between the U.S. and Canada continue to be a headwind for Canadian visitation to the U.S. And the Canadian perception of the safety of travel in the U.S. has steadily declined during the last ten months.”

Of the Canadian travellers influenced by U.S politics and policy, 45% report they will replace their U.S. travel with domestic trips in Canada, up from 37% in October, 24% will change to other international destinations and 11% will cancel their trips. Those choosing other international destinations are heading for Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean.

For more on the study, CLICK HERE.