Big drop in snowbirds heading to U.S. this winter, as many look overseas instead

Visitors entering Canada from Vermont at the Highway 55 Port of Entry in Stanstead, Que., Thursday, March 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

A new survey finds that fewer snowbirds are planning to flock to the United States this winter, with many choosing to fly overseas instead.

A poll from Snowbird Advisor, an online resource for Canadians wintering outside the country, shows a 15 per cent drop in the number of respondents who intend to head stateside this year.

Meanwhile the number of snowbirds — residents who spend at least a month in a warmer location during winter — planning travel to Mexico, Spain or other sun-splashed spots has nearly doubled.

Nonetheless, Snowbird Advisor Insurance president Stephen Fine notes that some 70 per cent of the 4,000 survey respondents still aim to go to the U.S., drawn back by property ownership, friends and family.

He points says the 15 per cent decrease in U.S.-bound snowbirds amounts to a smaller decline than in other cross-border travel segments, such as short-term leisure travel.

The poll surveyed more than 4,000 snowbirds in late October and cannot be assigned a margin of error because it was conducted online.

Experts say Canadians’ growing aversion to America stems from a mix of factors including political tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, fear of potential treatment at the border and a lopsided exchange rate, with the loonie worth about 71 US cents.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2025.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press