The decline in inbound U.S. travel from Canada, where some
officials have called on citizens to avoid their southern neighbors' vacation
destinations, in June continued the stark decline it has exhibited throughout
much of 2025.
In June, Canadian residents' return trips from the United
States via air declined more than 22 percent year over year even as return air
trips from other countries increased by more than 7 percent, according to
Statistics Canada, a Canadian federal government agency. Return trips from the
U.S. by car in June, meanwhile, dropped 33 percent year over year, the sixth
straight month of decline.
Anger at proposed U.S. tariffs and President Trump's
assertions that Canada should join the U.S. as a state, as well as concerns
about the safety and welcome of international travelers to the U.S. have raised
friction and helped spur a leisure travel boycott that continues.
About 40 percent of 1,529 Canadian adults surveyed by
Canadian online travel agency FlightHub indicated they would avoid traveling to
the U.S. "because of the current political climate and public safety
issues" while another 36 percent "indicated they would steer clear of
the U.S. as an intentional form of political protest," according to the
company.
Inbound Business Travel Dips
June inbound U.S. business travel demand from the world
outside of Canada and Mexico also slipped year over year, though nowhere near
the level of the Canadian drop.
According to preliminary U.S. International Trade
Administration data, the total number international visitors to the U.S. who entered
on business visas or through the Visa Waiver Program, excluding Canada and
Mexico, decreased 1.2 percent. That's compared with a 3.4 percent decline in
all international visitors to the U.S. in June, again excluding those from
Canada and Mexico.
Travelers entering the U.S. from Mexico in June on business
visas who arrived in manners other than land decreased 10.7 percent year over
year.
Year to date through the end of June, inbound international
travelers to the U.S. on business visas increased 3.3 percent year over year,
excluding Canada and Mexico, even as total arrivals have declined 1.2 percent.
Business traveler arrivals from Western Europe increased 1.1 percent year over
year, while arrivals from Asia increased 5.5 percent and those from South
America increased 4.5 percent.