Decline of Canadians heading to the U.S. ‘catastrophic’ for tour operators

Fewer Canadians are heading to the U.S. and tour operators on both sides of the border are feeling the pinch. CTV’s Tyler Fleming reports.

Whether it’s trade tensions, a weak dollar or political positioning, fewer Canadians are travelling to the U.S. this year and it’s taking a toll on tour operators on both sides of the border.

Karl Gilder, owner of Ottawa-based Travac Tours, says demand for his once-popular coach tours to New York has disappeared.

“People aren’t willing to go to the States right now. They just don’t want to and they’ve been cancelling left and right,” said Gildner.

“Our New York trip, which is our signature product to the U.S., over the years we were averaging 25 to 30 buses a year and we’re down to zero. It’s a big chunk.”

Travac, which has been operating for 53 years, is now seeing its biggest drop in U.S. business outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is certainly a close second,” he said. “I hope this gets settled pretty quickly. I personally think it can be settled and I’d like things to go back to normal.”

The impact isn’t just on this side of the border. Matt Levy, owner of New York City’s Spread Love Tours, calls the decline of Canadian tourists ‘catastrophic’.

“I’ve been a tour guide and a tour guide company owner for two decades plus and anywhere from 30 per cent to 50 per cent of my student group tours that I assign to my 15-plus tour guides, are Canadian,” Levy said.

“In 2024, Canadian high school class trips to New York City made up $35,000 of my gross profit. This year, it’s $5,000 and declining.”

Levy notes the spring season is when most student-based tours are booked, adding that last April, there was 100 tours. For the same month this year, only 30.

“It’s heartbreaking and my hope going forward is that the tendencies of our commander-in-chief pivots to something that isn’t so debilitating to the tourism infrastructure and industry,” Levy said.

“I don’t blame you guys straight up if a neighbour to my country was threatening to annex me. I wouldn’t go down there and spend money. I wouldn’t buy their product. I give a lot of tours to Canadians, and I miss you guys. I’ll even start singing oh Canada to prove it.”

Levy hopes tensions between the two countries ease soon.

“New York City and the attitude of New Yorkers is not representative of the garbage coming out of Washington, D.C.,” he said.

The decline in travel is also being felt in the airline industry. U.S. carriers have cut back on popular summer routes, including cancelling a planned Toronto-Los Angeles service.

According to Statistics Canada, there was a 23 per cent drop in the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. in February compared to last year.

Gilder says he’s seeing more interest in cross-Canada and European tours, but a full recovery in Canada-U.S. travel may take time — especially with more American tariffs on the horizon and in the coming weeks.