A year and a half since Canadians began avoiding trips to the United States, some are now starting to travel south again. Recent data from Statistics Canada shows that in June, the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. increased by 3.2% compared to the same month last year. This marks the third consecutive month of growth in inbound travel from the U.S. by Canadians, following increases of 9.5% in May and 1.4% in April.
The rise in travel was primarily driven by an uptick in car travel, with 5.2% more Canadians returning from the U.S. by car compared to the previous June. However, air travel from the States saw a 3.8% decrease year-over-year in June.
Despite the slight increase in car travel, Canadian visits to the U.S. remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels, indicating that the recovery in the tourism industry may still be gradual. Compared to June 2024, Canadian return travel from the U.S. last month was down by a substantial 28.7%.
According to Wayne Smith, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research, the recent uptick in travel can be seen as a modest “normalization” of Canadian travel to the U.S. rather than a complete return to pre-pandemic levels. Smith believes that the current rate of travel to the U.S. may represent a new normal, as the number of Canadians visiting the country has remained consistently lower over the past year and a half.
Kristy Kennedy, vice president of marketing and operations at the North Country Chamber of Commerce, noted that some local businesses near the Quebec border in New York State have observed a slight increase in Canadian travelers. Kennedy mentioned that more French speakers have been noticed in public compared to last year when Canadian travel was significantly reduced.
Amir Eylon, president and CEO of travel consultancy Longwoods International, suggested that the recent surge in cross-border travel could be attributed to successful promotional campaigns targeting Canadian travelers. Factors such as discounts, favorable exchange rates, and high airfare costs may have influenced travelers’ decisions to visit the U.S. Eylon also mentioned that events like the World Cup co-hosted by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico could have attracted Canadian soccer fans to travel to the U.S.
While the recent growth in cross-border travel has sparked some optimism in the tourism industry, experts like Smith remain cautious about the impact on American tourism businesses. Smith highlighted that longer and higher-spending trips usually involve air travel, which has seen a decline in the past three months. Additionally, the shift towards car travel and challenges such as changing travel habits and a weak Canadian dollar could hinder the U.S.’s efforts to attract Canadian tourists back.
Overall, while the recent increase in Canadian travel to the U.S. is a positive sign, challenges remain in fully recovering the tourism industry and enticing Canadians to return to pre-pandemic travel levels.