Earlier than heading off on a Caribbean cruise, Dennis Murphy and his spouse had a stopover in Florida. However they didn’t intend for it to be a correct Florida trip.
“We type of plan on spending as little of our cash within the U.S., based mostly on the whole lot that occurred,” Murphy stated in an interview.
The couple are simply two of the numerous Canadians who’ve modified journey plans to the US, voting with their wallets to precise distaste over the insurance policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, together with his commerce warfare along with his northern neighbour and his feedback about making Canada the 51st state. And tourism hotspots are feeling the burden of Canadians’ displeasure.
Canadian visitation to Florida has dropped greater than 18 per cent over the primary two quarters of 2025 and different states, together with Louisiana, California and Nevada have seen sharp drops within the variety of Canadians keen to trip south of the border.
Initially, Murphy and his spouse have been going to go to Las Vegas, however determined towards it. The ultimate straw for the couple was when, in late February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Oval Workplace to finalize a deal for Ukrainian minerals in alternate for American army help. The assembly — with the media current and broadcast globally — ended with Trump and U.S. Vice-President JD Vance berating Zelenskyy for supposed ingratitude.
“After we noticed that, we stated, ‘There’s no manner that we’re going to place any of our cash into their financial system.’ So we instantly canceled our journey,” stated Murphy.
Arduous knowledge bears out that there are fewer Canadians travelling to the US in 2025. Knowledge from Statistics Canada exhibits that Canadian journeys by automobile decreased by almost 36 per cent in July 2025, in comparison with July 2024, and air journey to the US dropped by greater than 16 per cent.
that at 4 border crossings from Canada into Washington state, there was vital declines in car visitors in 2025 in comparison with 2024. In September 2024, 322,024 private autos entered Washington. In September 2025, 228,580 autos entered the state — a decline of 29 per cent. In August, there was a 27 per cent decline in comparison with 2024. In March, April, Might and June, entrance figures had dropped by 30 per cent or extra in comparison with the 12 months prior.
In latest weeks, a number of politicians in the US have famous that declining Canadian tourism numbers are hurting them. Each Florida and California, main wintertime locations for Canadians, have seen declines within the variety of Canadian vacationers, as has Louisiana and the playing hub of Las Vegas, which has seen such a decline in visitation figures — together with Canadian — that one native union known as the strip’s struggles the “
.”
Canada, says Louisiana Lt.-Gov. Billy Nungesser, is the most important worldwide marketplace for guests to the state, and the state is noticing a drop in its tourism numbers from Canada.
“However to me, it’s extra than simply the tourism,” Nungesser stated in an interview. “I actually benefit from the friendships. Canadians are very similar to Louisianans. They deal with strangers like household, and you allow there with a buddy for all times.”
“I don’t need the feedback — the silly feedback — of a president and the tariffs to destroy these friendships.”
Nungesser, a Republican, not too long ago visited Canada to advertise tourism. His journey included assembly with journey brokers and handing out tabasco ice cream — a bit style of dwelling — in Canadian prepare stations.
“We have been simply up there to say … if you really feel snug touring once more, we’d like to have you ever again in Louisiana,” Nungesser stated.
He added that he heard from many Canadians who stated they’d not journey to the U.S. till Trump apologizes or is out of workplace. Nungesser additionally known as on Trump to apologize for his 51st state feedback.
“It’s how I really feel, it’s how the Canadian folks really feel,” Nungesser stated.
Does he suppose the president will apologize? “Not an opportunity in hell.”
“If the Canadian prime minister stated he wished to make America the 51st or make it Canadian, what would you suppose? It’s offensive. They will’t defend it, for my part,” Nungesser stated.
In Las Vegas, the place Murphy had supposed to go to, Canadian air journey has dropped off precipitously. Knowledge from Harry Reid Worldwide Airport present that the variety of passengers travelling by Air Canada and Westjet to Vegas dropped by almost one-third in June, in comparison with June 2024, and the variety of passengers visiting Sin Metropolis on Aptitude Airways flights dropped by 62 per cent.
“Worldwide journey is manner down. Persons are not coming to the US,” Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley stated not too long ago. “We have now a fairly massive market with the Canadians. It’s gone from, you realize, a faucet to a drip.”
In California, one other main tourism vacation spot for Canadians, Canadian visitation is projected to be down by 19 per cent in comparison with 2024, in accordance with Go to California, the official state tourism group, and spending is predicted to be down by 17 per cent.
For California, Canada is the second-biggest supply of vacationers, after Mexico. Go to California attributes the decline in Canadian tourism to quite a lot of components, together with financial situations and an unfavourable alternate fee maintaining Canadians away.
“On the similar time, geopolitical stress additionally impacted Canadian visitation within the winter and spring,” Go to California stated in an emailed response to questions from Nationwide Put up.
Throughout California, there are indicators that tourism has dropped off, the Los Angeles Instances reported. Not solely are Hollywood memento outlets and sightseeing excursions seeing fewer guests, however cities akin to Palm Springs, a frequent second-home spot for Canadians, notably out west, have seen a drop in guests from out of nation (though Mayor Ron deHarte stated that home tourism has made up the shortfall).
“We’ve harm our Canadian buddies with actions that the administration has taken. It’s comprehensible,” he instructed the Instances. “We don’t know the way lengthy they gained’t need to journey to the States, however we’re hopeful that it’s short-term.”
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