Canadian tourists continue to boycott US travel

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

Canadian tourists are continuing to boycott the United States as a destination, with entry falling for the 10th month in a row. In October, air travel dropped almost 24%, while entries by car fell 30% compared with the same period last year, this according to data from Statistics Canada released on November 13.

Canadians, who previously accounted for 25% of international arrivals to the US and generated an economic turnover of around US$20 billion, are now boycotting the country. The reasons are multiple: for instance, the US is currently imposing a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, and President Donald Trump has repeatedly offended Canadians by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st State.

But Canadian tourists are not the only travelers avoiding the US. The airline industry notes a trend in international flight cancellations, making industry experts weary that a downfall in tourism to the US will impact its already shaky economy.

Tourism Economics blames "polarizing rhetoric" as a key reason the American tourism industry is expected to experience a significant loss in 2025. Projections estimate that the travel industry will see a more than $60 billion loss.

Travelers are weary

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Despite earlier projections of a 9% increase in foreign travel to the US in 2025, the outlook has sharply declined as President Donald Trump’s policies have made international visitors weary of visiting the US. According to an August 2025 report by Tourism Economics, international arrivals to the US are now expected to drop by 8.2% for the year.

Visitor spending to drop in the billions

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

Visitor spending in the US could drop by US$12.5 billion, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, due to tougher immigration policies and increased screening, leading many tourists to reconsider visiting America.

Total loss estimated at US$64 billion

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

At the same time, total losses to the travel industry could reach US$64 billion, with Tourism Economics citing Trump’s political rhetoric as the primary reason why travel plans are changing.

Political rhetoric at the forefront

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While initial analyses pointed to policies on tariffs, especially relevant to Canadian tourists, the aspect of political rhetoric is playing a larger role than industry experts imagined. 

Polarizing policies

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Analyses are pointing the fingers at “polarizing Trump Administration policies and rhetoric.”

Risky vacation

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According to industry expert Adam Sacks, international travelers view the US as a risky vacation spot, which has led to this shift in the industry’s forecast.

Chinese travelers

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

Regional percentages are particularly telling. Chinese travelers to the US are down 11%, coinciding with Trump’s increasingly negative rhetoric about the country.

Political talk

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While initial projections assumed tariffs would impact travel to the country, it seems the president’s political talk has been a greater source of travel changes.

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

Travelers coming from Africa, Asia, and Central America are, too, changing their plans, as drops between 6-9% have been recorded across these regions.

Philippines

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

According to a March 2025 Boston Globe report, a family coming from the Philippines made a last-minute change to their vacation plans to embark on a cruise from Florida. The group of 30 opted for a Canadian vacation instead.

Personal safety

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The group decided that “given the volatility and hostility of this administration, we wouldn’t take a chance.” The family cites issues of “personal safety” as the primary consideration for their decision.

Travel industry

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

Although the numbers for Trump’s second term look more dramatic, the travel industry was also plagued by a drop during the President’s first term in office.

Travel bans

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Not taking Covid-19 impacts into consideration, the industry lost out on a projected US$20 billion due to travel bans and political rhetoric that diverted travelers coming from Mexico, China, and the Middle East, in particular.

Canada

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

In response, travelers are looking to America’s northern neighbor for vacation plans. Canada is set to have a jump in its tourism numbers due to changed travel plans.

Trudeau

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

Governments, too, are issuing warnings to their citizens regarding travel to the US. Canada’s former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has asked citizens not to vacation in the US.

Canadian travelers

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

Whether Trudeau’s plea made a difference is difficult to measure, but Canadian land travel to the US fell by 24% and air travel by 30% in October 2025 alone.

Huge losses from Canada

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

In fact, international travel from Canada is set to cause an over US$3 billion loss in tourism for the US in 2025 alone, amounting to a projected 15% drop.

The US's largest group of tourists

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It is worth noting that Canadians have historically and continue to be one of the biggest groups of international visitors to the US. In 2024, 20.24 million Canadians visited the US.

Germany

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

In March 2025, the German government issued new travel advice to its citizens following what appears to be the arbitrary denial of three German nationals to the US who were also detained.

ESTA program

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This is a complicated issue for Europeans, many of whose governments have strong political ties to the US, including access to the electronic system for travel authorization (ESTA) program.

Visa waiver

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The ESTA program is a visa waiver that allows nationals of certain countries, the majority of which are European, to travel to the US.

Entry still subject to evaluation

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The catch is that while the program allows for visa-free travel, there is no guarantee of entrance to the country. Visitors can still be denied upon entry, which is what happened to the German nationals in question.

Permanent resident denied

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One of the German nationals denied entry is also a legal permanent resident of the United States, which is creating anxiety for many residents about the power of the government to revoke such status without due process.

Fabian Schmidt

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Fabian Schmidt, the German national with US residency, was not only held in detention, but was also allegedly interrogated, stripped, and forced to take a cold shower by airport border officials.

Jessica Brösche

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Jessica Brösche, one of the other German nationals recently denied entry to the US, attempted to enter the country via the Tijuana-Mexico crossing. She was denied entry and detained.

Detained for weeks

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In an unbelievable turn of events, Brösche was kept at the Otay Mesa Detention facility for over six weeks, including nine days in solitary confinement.

German government probe

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

The German government notes that they are conducting investigations into all three cases, underlining their travel advice is a mere note, rather than any kind of official warning.

Purchasing power

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

It’s not just travel to the US that’s at stake. Some former visitors living abroad are even taking another step in boycotting American goods in their daily shopping. Pictured is a Canadian supermarket, which highlights which products are domestically produced in the context of US tariffs.

Hospitality industry in US

Travelers are weary, Visitor spending to drop in the billions, Total loss estimated at US billion, Political rhetoric at the forefront, Polarizing policies, Risky vacation, Chinese travelers, Political talk, Regional trends, Philippines, Personal safety, Travel industry, Travel bans, Canadian travelers, Huge losses from Canada, The US's largest group of tourists, ESTA program, Visa waiver, Entry still subject to evaluation, Permanent resident denied, Fabian Schmidt, Jessica Brösche, Detained for weeks, German government probe, Purchasing power, Hospitality industry in US

In the US, the hospitality industry is already registering a downward turn. Reports show that job losses in the industry could amount to thousands by the end of 2025.

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