With the escalation of tensions between Canada and America... How has the travel experience between the two countries changed?

Stephanie Riccio has taken her children to New York City since they were born, where she annually celebrates her daughter's birthday by attending a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. But this year, the situation was completely different.

Riccio, a certified professional accountant, said: “I did not want to announce the trip, because I did not think it was right to spend my money there. I am proud to be Canadian, and at the same time, I hold on to our traditions and memories that mean a lot to my daughter, and I did not want to give them up.”

These feelings come in light of escalating tensions between the two countries. In March 2025, Canadians launched a campaign to encourage the consumption of local products, in response to tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

In parallel, many people refrained from traveling to the United States and changed their travel plans. During 2024, Canadians logged 39 million round-trip trips across the U.S. border.

But this number declined sharply with the imposition of customs duties and the escalation of US President Donald Trump’s statements about making Canada the 51st US state. The annual decline in the number of Canadians traveling to the United States continued for 15 consecutive months, until April 2026.

The Canadian Travel and Tourism Outlook 2026 study, conducted by Environics Research, showed that about 6 in 10 Canadians are avoiding traveling to the United States (46%), or are hesitant to visit it (15%). Over the summer, the numbers of Canadians crossing into the United States began to gradually rise, according to Statistics Canada, although they remained 25.6% lower than during the same period in 2024.

While some Canadians continue to travel to attend sports games, concerts and visit amusement parks, many avoid posting photos of their travels on social media or talking about them with friends. “I'm not traveling to the United States to visit Donald Trump,” says Kimmy Wells-Conrad, founder and president of the travel company Wells Luxury Travel in Vancouver. Tensions between the two countries have prompted some of her clients to cancel their trips to the United States and even avoid stopping at its airports, while others continue to travel there, especially for family vacations. She explained: "I heard from many people who said that they would not tell their friends about their trip to the United States, and would not post anything about it on social media."

Toronto personal finance and loyalty expert Barry Choi is traveling to the United States for business and pleasure. But with the escalation of tensions between the two countries, he initially avoided talking about his trips, but began publishing their details on his Instagram account, despite the criticism he was being subjected to.

He said: "I am not traveling to the United States to visit Donald Trump, but rather to meet my friends and family, and enjoy experiences that are not available in Canada." Choi added, "I was in the Palm Beaches, and every local I spoke to apologized for the actions of the American president as soon as he learned that I was Canadian."

The situation has completely changed for Callie, a marketing executive in Toronto who preferred not to reveal her last name for fear of criticism. She was hesitant to travel to the United States amid the tensions. But in the end, she decided to visit New York with her friend to attend singer Hayley Williams' concert.

Although she used to share details of her travels on social media, this time she refrained from publishing any photos or videos, for fear of criticism or having her phone searched at the border. She said: “I used to visit upstate New York with my family a lot in my childhood, but this time was completely different.

Security personnel were shining flashlights on all cars, without exception.” She added: “The situation has completely changed, and the procedures have become more stringent.”

Callie explained that this experience in itself made her rule out the idea of ​​traveling to the United States again, whether she decided to announce her trip or preferred to keep it secret.