Canadians’ US-travel boycott hasn’t shown signs of slowing down.
Canadian residents returning from the US, either by car or by plane, was down more in April than any other month this year, according to data released Monday by the Canadian government.
Together the car and plane returns marked the sharpest year-over-year declines since Canadians started boycotting US travel earlier this year, citing President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods and comments on making Canada the 51st US state.
Over 1.2 million Canadian residents returned to the country from the US by car in April, compared to more than 1.9 million in the same month last year, marking a steep decline of about 35%, according to Statistics Canada.
It was the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year declines for returns by car, which is the way most Canadian visitors travel to the US, according to Statistics Canada.
Canadian residents returning by air from the US was also down last month at 582,700, nearly 20% lower than the same month last year, despite an increase in Canadian resident returns from overseas, the data showed.
The government data aligns with what travel companies have been saying for months: fewer Canadians are visiting the US. Airlines have been cutting back on Canada-US routes as a result.
On earnings calls late last month companies such as Hilton, Caesars Entertainment, and Booking Holdings reported slowdowns in travel from Canada to the US. Some firms have said Canadians are instead visiting Mexico, the Caribbean, and destinations in Europe.
Pearl Whamond, a Canadian who lives in Montreal, previously told Business Insider she was avoiding travel to the US despite living near the border and previously making frequent visits by car and plane.
“I wouldn’t go over the border these days, and I’m trying to avoid buying American products,” she said.
Canadians have also been boycotting American-made products and engaging in a Buy Canada movement in response to Trump’s policies.
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