Canadians spent much of last year cancelling U.S. vacations, swapping road trips south of the border with trips to Europe, Mexico and other destinations closer to home.
But now, something unexpected is happening.
Despite a deepening political rift between Canada and the U.S., tariff threats and a wave of patriotic “elbows up” sentiment, travel industry experts say more Canadians are starting to head back to the United States.
The rebound comes as new Statistics Canada data shows cross-border travel remains well below pre-pullback levels, raising a bigger question about what is tempting Canadians back and if the boycott of U.S. travel has started to fade.
As U.S. President Donald Trump rolled out sweeping tariff threats against Canada and repeatedly questioned the country’s relationship with its closest ally in his first months of taking to office, some Canadians turned travel plans into a political statement. Social media campaigns urged people to “buy Canadian,” “visit Canada first” and avoid spending money in the United States.
The push even spilled into the travel industry, with Canadians sharing screenshots of cancelled U.S. vacations, swapping Florida getaways for domestic destinations and encouraging others to spend their tourism dollars at home.
Some provincial leaders also leaned into the moment. Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Canadians to “stay home and support our own,” while tourism groups promoted Canadian destinations as alternatives to American road trips and winter escapes.
But more than a year later, the data suggests the story is becoming more complicated.
Canadian travel to the U.S. showed signs of rebounding in May, with the number of return trips by Canadian residents rising 9.9 per cent compared with the same month last year, according to the Statistics Canada data released Thursday.
Canadian residents made 2.6 million return trips from the U.S. in May, marking the second straight month of year-over-year growth after a 15-month decline in travel south of the border.
At the same time, visits to Canada by U.S. residents continued to climb, with 2.2 million trips recorded in May, up 13 per cent from May 2025 and marking the fourth consecutive month of annual growth.
Data from the National Travel Survey (NTS)Note2 show that the pullback in stateside travel (-23.5%, or -7.1 million visits, compared with 2024) was almost entirely offset by the combination of domestic and overseas travel. (Image screengrab courtesy Statistics Canada)
Why some Canadians are giving the U.S. another look: Travel expert
If Canadians are returning to the United States, they’re doing it with a lot more intention than before.
The days of automatically booking a Florida getaway or a quick cross-border shopping hop appear to be fading, according to Amra Durakovic, head of communications at Flight Centre Canada.
“The U.S. is no longer that automatic go-to destination it once was,” she told Yahoo News Canada in an interview. “Canadians are really weighing it against a much broader range of destinations and priorities.”
Flight Centre’s own booking data paints a more complicated picture than a simple comeback. While bookings to the U.S. ticked up modestly in April and May compared to last year, June bookings were still down 27 per cent year over year, suggesting sentiment remains cautious.
What is bringing Canadians back, Durakovic says, isn’t convenience. It’s experiences they can’t easily replace elsewhere.
Amra Durakovic, Director of Public Relations and Communications at Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, (Image courtesy: CBC News)
Think Alaska cruises, major concerts, sporting events, Hawaii escapes or country music weekends in Nashville and Austin.
“It’s less, ‘Let’s go to the U.S.,’ and more, ‘There’s something in the U.S. that I specifically want to do,'” she said.
The biggest surprise? It’s younger Canadians leading much of that demand.
Flight Centre’s research with YouGov suggests Gen Z is more willing than older generations to head south, often planning trips around live events, festivals and entertainment rather than traditional vacations.
At the same time, Canadians haven’t abandoned the travel habits they adopted during last year’s pullback.
Canada remains Flight Centre’s most-booked destination, accounting for more than one-third of all bookings. Mexico continues to hold the No. 2 spot, while Japan, Italy and the Dominican Republic have all seen growing demand as Canadians look farther afield.
Durakovic says travellers have become noticeably more strategic, booking winter vacations earlier to lock in lower prices and carefully weighing affordability, value and even whether they feel welcome before deciding where to go.
“The U.S. will always have strong appeal because of its proximity and family connections,” she said. “But Canadians have really changed their travel habits. They’re much more intentional about where they spend their travel dollars.”
‘Elbows Up’ or back to Florida? Canadians debate U.S. travel comeback online
The return of U.S. travel is sparking debate online, with some Canadians wondering whether the “Elbows Up” sentiment that shaped travel decisions last year is starting to wear off.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy: @RichardRoy75077/X
Some Canadians say rising grocery costs are changing how they think about cross-border shopping, with some arguing that even the exchange rate may not be enough to keep shoppers from looking south.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy: @old_guy_666/X
Others say rising travel costs at home are pushing them to compare prices south of the border, with some arguing a U.S. getaway can now compete with popular Canadian destinations.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy: @MarcParkin/X
Not everyone is convinced Canadians are returning to the U.S., with some travellers saying they and their social circles have no plans to cross the border.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy: @PeterVaupshas/X
Another commenter said they are staying closer to home, arguing Canada still has plenty of destinations worth exploring instead of travelling to the U.S.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy: @StrasserDave/X