The Canadian dollar? Trump? Why Edmontonians are travelling abroad less this summer

An aerial image of downtown Edmonton taken on May 23, 2025. (Cam Wiebe / CTV News Edmonton)

Edmontonians, like other Canadians, are spending this summer exploring their own backyard.

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According to new Statistics Canada data, fewer Canadians are travelling abroad, and to the U.S. in particular.

In May, Canadian-resident return trips from abroad were down for the fifth consecutive month, by 3.1 per cent. Statistics Canada attributed the reduction to fewer automobile and air trips to the U.S., which accounted for more than half of all Canadian-resident trips abroad.

Year over year, the number of Canadian return trips from the U.S. was down 31.9 per cent in May.

At local events like KDays and Taste of Edmonton, CTV News Edmonton spoke to several tourists about how they made their vacation plans.

“It’s intentional,” said Rianna Ross about not going to Las Vegas with her boyfriend’s family, which is an annual tradition.

“All to do with (U.S. President Donald) Trump. (The decision) was made right after he was elected. ... It doesn’t feel welcoming and safe right now. So, stay here where we know we’re welcome and safe.”

A Taste of Edmonton attendee echoed the sentiment: “We always spend our dollars Canadian anyways, but yeah, there’s a little bit more impetus these days to stick around home,” Dan Kalisvaart told CTV News.

But not everyone feels that way.

“Oh, I’m not woke like that,” said Brittany Young. “I can’t control Trump. Trump’s going to do his thing.”

“That’s my boy, though,” she and her partner Kobe Francis added.

Others cited economic reasons.

“I think it’s mainly due to our dollar,” speculated Robin Chan.

“It’s too expensive to go to the States. Can’t afford it,” added Lory Winter. But admittedly Trump’s “51st state” jokes hadn’t sat well with her.

“Canada strong,” she added. “We’re staying here. Always Canadian.”

No one CTV News Edmonton spoke to seemed disappointed at their options to spend the summer locally.

“I would like to travel around Edmonton and just our area because we have so much to see and there’s so much to offer. So you may as well check it out while you can,” Chan said.

Earlier in July, Ross visited the fishing village Steveston in Vancouver for the first time and found it “really cool.”

“We talked about maybe checking out Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (World Heritage Site),” she added. “I went on a field trip when I was a kid, but seeing it as an adult might be interesting.”

Justin McLeod, a born-and-raised Edmontonian who now lives in Saskatchewan with his partner and kids, was using the summer to show his family where he grew up.

“First time at KDays, first time in Drumheller,” he told CTV News Edmonton. “Next time, I’m going to take them to see the mountains... Maybe the zoo in Calgary.”

“Gotta see Canada first before we see everywhere else,” his partner Missy Rogers added.

Although Canadian trips abroad have been declining, in May, Canadian return trips from overseas increased 8.9 per cent.

Travel to Canada by U.S. residents increased between April and May by 2.1 per cent, but is 5.6 per cent lower year over year.

Trips to Canada by overseas residents have been following a similar trend.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall, Brent Pushkarenko and Nav Sangha