Trade tensions: are Americans shunning Canada?

The number of trips to Canada by Americans was significantly lower in March than at the same time last year, according to Statistics Canada data.

• Also read: Trade war: historic drop in travel spending in the United States

This is the second consecutive month that the number of Americans crossing the border to come to us has decreased on an annual basis.

In March, 1.2 million U.S. residents traveled to Canada, a decrease of 6.6% from March 2024.

But Americans aren't the only ones visiting Canada less. The number of travelers from overseas also fell by 17.4%, marking a sixth consecutive month of year-over-year decline.

If we look at the developments on a monthly basis, the picture of the situation appears in a slightly different light.

Indeed, the total number of arrivals of U.S. residents to Canada increased by 2.8% in March compared to February. The number of arrivals of residents from other countries also showed a month-on-month increase, but a slightly more modest one (+0.7%).

Fewer Europeans visited Canada in March than in February (-1.3%), but the number of Asian residents increased by 2%, and that of residents of the Americas, excluding the United States, by 5.8%.