900,000 fewer people went to the U.S. in March, says CBP

More insights about the state of U.S. travel from Canada are making the rounds this week.

According to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, the number of cross-border travellers going from Canada to the U.S. dropped by nearly 900,000 in March compared to the same month last year.

As CBC News remarked, it is “easily one of the worst year-over-year drops recorded outside of the COVID-19 health crisis.”

CBP’s border figures show 4,105,516 travellers crossed the U.S. northern border in March of this year, down from 4,970,360 people who did the same in 2024.

It represents a roughly 17 per cent decline that many say is driven by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and his 51st state rhetoric, combined with the weak Canadian loonie.

March is a key month to track a shift in behaviours because it’s traditionally a period that many Canadians travel south of the border for March Break.

Car trips down 32%

CBP’s data adds to recent figures shared by Statistics Canada.

The agency reports that the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. by vehicle was down almost 32 per cent in March compared to March 2024.

Canadian return trips by air from the U.S. were also down 13.5 per cent last month compared to March 2024, the agency says.

Some U.S. states are pushing back against Trump's policies in an attempt to save tourism. On Tuesday (April 15), California’s Governor Gavin Newsom launched an international campaign with Visit California to encourage a "strong tourism partnership" with Canada.

A statement on Mr. Newsom's website says the campaign will remind Canadians "that California is a grateful partner and remains one of the best — and most welcoming — destinations in the United States, and the world."

The Canadian government, notably, updated its advice to travellers heading south of the border earlier this month.

In its latest notice, the government reminds Canadians that it cannot intervene if U.S. border agents deny travellers entry.

“Individual border agents often have significant discretion in making those determinations. U.S. authorities strictly enforce entry requirements.”

Ottawa’s advice also warns Canadians to “expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices.”

Academics warned

Academic staff at Canadian universities have also been warned to avoid non-essential travel to the United States due to the "political landscape" created by the Trump administration.

Updating its travel advice on Tuesday (April 15), the Canadian Association of University Teachers told its members to be cautious when crossing the U.S. border, saying that some people face heightened risks, the Canadian Press reports.

The warning particularly applies to academics who are from countries that have tense diplomatic relations with the U.S., or who have themselves expressed negative views about Trump and his administration.

The notice also applies to people "whose research could be seen as being at odds with the position of the current U.S. administration," or who identify as transgender.

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