Photo Credit: The U.S. and Canadian flags flying together. Pexels / Brian Forsyth
The recent increase in Canadian travel to the U.S. isn't a full comeback — it's a low bar clearing itself.
LinkedIn X Facebook Email Gift How much of the redirected Canadian demand to destinations like the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica is likely to be permanent versus temporary? Are other major U.S. cities beyond New York planning similar discount promotions to win back Canadian visitors? What is driving the persistent weakness in air travel to the U.S. compared to the recovery in car trips? Select a question above or ask something else
Canadian travel to the U.S. continued making progress in July, extending a rebound that snapped a 15-month slump back in April. But it's nowhere near a complete recovery.
Canadian-resident return trips rose 10.2% in July from last year, marking the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year growth, according to figures released on Tuesday by Statistics Canada. A 12.8% increase in return trips from the U.S. by car was responsible for much of that increase, as same-day vehicle trips typically represent almost half of Canadian travel to the U.S.
"The increase in July 2026 is largely due to a base-year effect, as Canadian-resident trips to the United States declined sharply in 2025 following geopolitical tensions," Statistics Canada said.
Return trips by air in July dropped 1.4% from last year. And the gap from two years ago remains steep. Canadian-resident return trips by car in July were 28.9% lower than the same month in 2024, while return trips by
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Tags: canada , Inbound , trump effect , us inbound tourism
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