Fewer people are travelling to Canada: StatCan

With Canadians being encouraged to travel within their own country, new numbers suggest fewer people around the world are travelling to the Great White North.

Data from Statistics Canada shows a 17.2 per cent drop in overseas travellers to Canada, not including people from the U.S., in February of this year compared to the same time last year.

“It’s really interesting because it’s the fifth month of consecutive year-over-year declines from overseas,” says Jane Lin from Statistics Canada.

Travellers from the U.S. to Canada also declined by 5.3 per cent this February compared to the same time last year.

“I think there is maybe just less travel across the world,” says Suki, a U.S. traveller in Calgary.

Sectors like the hospitality industry are feeling those declines, especially since they are coming at a slower time of the year.

“I think in the U.S. as well, it’s been shown that people are being impacted too, so when everyday living costs more whether it’s food or housing, the luxury items like travel and eating out tends to be the things that get pulled back first,” says Mona Pinder, executive director of the Alberta Hospitality Association.

Alberta sees rise in American tourist spending

It’s not all bad news across the country, Alberta is actually bucking the trend when it comes to U.S. travellers coming up north.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the Canadian train #1, so I wanted to take it,” says Suki.

Tourism Calgary tells CityNews that while overall tourism spending is lower, spending from the U.S. is up by 2.5 per cent between January and February of this year.

The organization says the city is expected to see a boost in tourism activity later in the year due to a number of planned major events like the Calgary Stampede and the G7 Summit.

Many Canadians have changed travel plans to avoid the U.S. since President Donald Trump imposed tariffs against Canada while repeatedly suggesting it become the 51st state.

Travel agency Flight Centre Travel Group Canada said February bookings to American cities dropped 40 per cent from the same month in 2024, while one in five customers cancelled their trips to the U.S. over the past three months.

Crossings from Canada into the U.S. dropped by about 32 per cent, or 864,000 travellers, in March compared to the same month a year ago, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The Canadian government updated its travel advisory to the U.S. earlier this month, warning residents they may face scrutiny from border guards and the possibility of detention if denied entry.