Canadian trips to U.S. inch up despite months-long travel boycott
Canadian travel to the U.S. saw a slight increase in June, though numbers remain significantly lower than pre-boycott levels. Experts suggest this represents a new normal rather than a reversal of the trend driven by political tensions.
Why it matters
The data reflects the ongoing economic impact of geopolitical friction on the tourism industry and cross-border consumer behavior.
In June, Canadian resident return trips from the U.S. inched up 3.2 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
It's the third month in a row that inbound travel from the U.S. by Canadians has increased, following a rise of 9.5 per cent in May and 1.4 per cent in April.
The uptick was fuelled by an increase in car travel, with 5.2 per cent more Canadians returning from the U.S. via car compared to the previous June. By air, return travel from the States for June decreased 3.8 per cent year-over-year.
But the small car-travel jump doesn't bring U.S. travel by Canadians anywhere close to normal levels — so while some in the U.S. tourism industry are hopeful, it might not give a major boost to businesses any time soon.
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