MONTREAL — Nathalie Morisseau eagerly planned a last-minute vacation with her 23-year-old daughter, but she made it clear: it would not be in the United States. "With my father being Haitian, there’s a certain fear around being able to go to the United States," she said, expressing concerns about immigration enforcement and the treatment of perceived outsiders. "It’s not attractive. And it’s scary," she added at the Montreal airport before departing for the Dominican Republic.

Morisseau's sentiments reflect a broader trend among Canadians, particularly baby boomers, who are increasingly avoiding travel to the U.S. Nearly ten months after President Donald Trump took office, the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. by car and plane dropped by about one-third in September compared to the previous year, according to preliminary data from Statistics Canada. This decline marks the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year decreases in car trips.

"Canadians are really choosing destinations other than the U.S. to travel," said Will McAleer, executive director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada. He noted that the trend is especially pronounced among older travelers. A recent survey indicated that the likelihood of baby boomers traveling to the U.S. this winter has plummeted by two-thirds, now standing at just 10 percent. In contrast, Gen Z travelers reported an 18 percent decrease, with 44 percent still planning to visit.

The aversion to U.S. travel can be attributed to various factors, including political tensions, rising costs, and unfavorable exchange rates, with the Canadian dollar currently valued at about 71 cents U.S. To adapt to these changing travel patterns, Air Canada is increasing flights to the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe while reducing capacity to the U.S. Other airlines are following suit.

American states have taken notice of this shift and are launching tourism campaigns aimed at attracting Canadian visitors back to their attractions. In California, Canadian spending is projected to drop from $3.7 billion in 2024 to $3 billion this year, according to Ryan Becker, a senior vice-president at Visit California. "That’s a gut punch to the industry," he remarked during a recent promotional tour in Canada.

Despite the decline, nearly 1.8 million Canadians returned from the U.S. in September, indicating that travel is not entirely halted. Many Canadians are grappling with mixed feelings about visiting the U.S. Alanni Duenas traveled to Chicago for a wedding, despite concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in his family’s neighborhood. "ICE just coming out of nowhere, taking them, they don’t hear from them," he said, referring to the fear surrounding immigration enforcement.

For some Canadians, factors such as budget constraints and familial ties continue to draw them to the U.S. Barry Choi, a personal finance and travel expert, noted that younger travelers often find it cheaper to visit closer destinations like Orlando than to travel to places like Tokyo.

Those who still wish to experience U.S. attractions may engage in what McAleer describes as "quiet traveling," where they visit without publicizing their trips on social media. "It’ll be, ‘Well, yeah, I’m going to go down there.’ But they’re not going to promote it in the same manner," he explained.

Corporate travel to major U.S. cities remains steady, according to Flight Centre Canada. Catherine Paquin, a boat dealer, recently flew to Washington, D.C., for business, acknowledging that many of her friends are hesitant to travel to the U.S. for political reasons.

Canadians who own property in the U.S. are likely to continue their visits. Stephen Fine, founder of Snowbird Advisor Insurance, noted that 30 to 40 percent of snowbirds own homes in the U.S., and about 70 percent travel by car. "They’re unlikely to leave their condo or their house empty for the winter," he said.

The social aspect of visiting the U.S. also plays a significant role. "They have communities and friends that they go and see every year. That’s important to them," Fine added. As winter approaches, the weather may influence some Canadians' decisions. Jill Wykes, editor of Snowbird Advisor, remarked, "We haven’t even had the first snowstorm yet. That normally makes people want to go."