U.S. visitors to Canada outnumber Canadians in U.S. in rare reversal

Vehicles approach the United States border crossing as seen from Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., Thursday, April 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

As Canadian travel to the United States continues to decline, new data shows a notable tipping point: More Americans visited Canada this July than Canadians did the United States, in a reversal not seen in years.

Statistics Canada’s latest figures show that U.S. residents made 1.8 million trips into Canada by automobile last month, with only 1.7 million Canadian return trips from the United States.

Canadian trips to the U.S. have outnumbered U.S.-Canada trips every July since before the COVID-19 pandemic, until now.

July travel has declined in both directions since last year, with U.S. visitor totals down 7.4 per cent and Canadian return trips plunging 36.9 per cent, down for six and seven months in a row, respectively.

“Recent data on foreign travel suggest that Canadians’ travel sentiment toward their southern neighbour has been shifting in early 2025,” a StatCan report from earlier this summer reads. “It is currently unclear whether the change is temporary or part of a more permanent shift.”

Girl Guides of Canada recently announced it would suspend excursions to the United States for an unspecified period of time, in a decision the organization said was linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tightening border control policies.

“This decision is rooted in our commitment to inclusivity and the safety of all our members,” Girl Guides of Canada wrote in an email to CTV News.

“It was prompted by the recent restrictions put on equal entry into the United States, as some members may hold citizenship from non-Canadian countries and could be impacted by the restrictions.”

As for air travel, Canada has seen an increase in visitors, with 1.4 million non-residents arriving this July, up just over three per cent from the same time in 2024. While most of this growth came from overseas travellers, U.S. visitors by air also increased 0.7 per cent.

Overall, international arrivals to Canada are down 15.6 per cent from the same time last year, according to StatCan.

With files from CTV News’ Spencer Van Dyk