Canadians are increasingly choosing to explore their own country rather than travel to the United States, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Cross-border travel from Canada to the U.S. has declined for the 14th consecutive month, while domestic travel has surged significantly.
Domestic Travel on the Rise
The data tracks passenger numbers at Canada's eight largest airports and reveals a 7 percent decline in U.S.-bound traffic from March 2025 to March 2026, falling to 1.2 million screened passengers. In contrast, domestic passenger numbers rose by 10 percent during the same period.
All eight major Canadian airports reported annual increases in passenger numbers in March 2026. The three strongest performers were:
- Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport – up 15 percent year-over-year
- Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport – up 14.1 percent
- Calgary International Airport – up 11.3 percent
Political Tensions Drive Shift
The downturn in U.S. travel, which began in January 2025, has been linked to political tensions between Canada and the U.S., fueled by punitive tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump and his suggestion that Canada could become the 51st state. Airlines have responded by adjusting capacity: Air Transat canceled all U.S.-bound flights for the 2026 summer season, and WestJet suspended 16 U.S. routes.
The trend is not limited to Canadians. A May 2025 report from the World Travel and Tourism Council estimated that among 184 economies analyzed, the U.S. was the only country forecast to see a decline in international visitor spending that year.
Canadians Embrace Domestic Destinations
Data from travel companies echoes the shift. A recent Airbnb report found that Canadians chose to explore their own country in record numbers in 2025, with over 9.5 million domestic guest arrivals, accounting for over 60 percent of all trips on Airbnb—up more than 50 percent since 2019.
The report also noted a strong preference for intra-provincial travel: 70 percent of domestic trips by Ontarians took place within Ontario, as did 70 percent for British Columbians, 62 percent for Quebecers, and 51 percent for Albertans.
Economic Impact
Airbnb estimates that all travel in Canada generated a record nearly $10.9 billion in economic activity in 2025. Meanwhile, the drop in Canadian visitors contributed to a 4.6 percent decline in international tourism spending in the U.S. last year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, despite 2025 being a record year globally for travel and tourism GDP growth.
However, the U.S. remains the largest travel and tourism market in the world. With 1.2 million Canadians crossing the border in March alone, the market is far from disappearing.
