A car headed toward the United States at the St-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing in Quebec on March 6, 2025. National Post
Canadians travel more this year, but one major shift stands out. Fewer people head to the United States. New numbers from Statistics Canada show clear changes in where Canadians choose to go.
Airports across the country stay busy. Security lines grow longer. Trips increase. Yet travel south of the border keeps dropping month after month.
Canadian Airports Stay Busy
Canada’s eight largest airports handled 5 million screened passengers in October. That number shows strong growth. Traffic rose 4.5 per cent from October 2024. It also climbed 9.9 per cent above October 2019, before the pandemic.
Every major airport reported gains. Halifax led the group with an 8.6 per cent jump over last year. All the airports beat their pre-pandemic numbers except Ottawa. Travel momentum stays strong as more Canadians take trips within Canada or overseas.
Fewer Canadians Fly to the U.S.
In sharp contrast, travel to the United States keeps falling. October cross-border flights dropped 8.9 per cent from the same month last year. That decline began in February and continues each month without a break.
These figures cover only air travel, but the larger trend looks the same. In the first quarter of 2025, Canadians took 6.1 million trips to the U.S. by land, sea, and air. That number shows a 10.8 per cent decrease from the year before.
Domestic travel grew 8.5 per cent in the same period. International travel outside the U.S. rose 12 per cent. Canadians keep travelling, but the U.S. interests them less.
Many point to political tension and economic worries. Talk of a trade war and repeated statements about annexation from U.S. President Donald Trump stir concern. These events do not stop travel entirely, but they influence choices.
Canadians Look Elsewhere for Getaways
Travel patterns highlight a strong shift to warmer destinations. In the first quarter, Canadians chose Mexico more than any other country. They took 1.2 million trips there. The Dominican Republic followed with 467,000 visits. China and Cuba each welcomed about 220,000 Canadian travellers. Costa Rica and Jamaica also drew steady crowds.
Second-quarter data showed a similar trend. Mexico stayed in the top spot with 471,000 visitors. But Europe gained ground as spring arrived. France, the U.K., and Spain each saw more than 250,000 Canadian travellers. Japan followed with 235,000. Italy, Portugal, and the Dominican Republic each recorded close to 200,000.
Canadians clearly spread out their travel choices far beyond the U.S. Sun, culture, and new experiences appear to drive many decisions.
Domestic Travel Also Sees Growth
Canadians also explore more of their own country. Ontario drew 42.3 per cent of domestic travellers. Quebec received 19.5 per cent. Alberta and British Columbia each welcomed about 12 per cent. A curious detail stands out in B.C. numbers. The province attracted only 12.6 per cent of domestic visits but claimed 20.9 per cent of domestic travel spending. Visitors seem to spend more when they arrive there.
