StatCan: Canadian travel to U.S. rose for fifth straight month in August

Cross-border travel between Canada and the United States was gaining momentum in August, but a late-month breakdown in trade negotiations could put that recovery to the test.

New data from Statistics Canada shows Canadians made 2.6 million return trips from the United States in August, an 8.8 per cent increase compared with the same month in 2025 and the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year growth.

The rebound came after Canadian travel to the U.S. fell sharply last year amid heightened political and economic tensions between the two countries and the rise of the Buy Canadian movement.

But August's improving numbers largely predate the latest escalation in the Canada-U.S. trade dispute.

On Aug. 21, Canada walked away from trade talks after the U.S. demanded what Prime Minister Mark Carney described as “unacceptable” last-minute concessions.

U.S. President Donald Trump subsequently imposed sweeping 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting Ottawa to respond with dollar-for-dollar countermeasures and further straining relations between the longtime allies and trading partners.

Whether that renewed friction will once again weigh on cross-border tourism remains to be seen.

However, conversations PAX has had with travel trade insiders suggest the recovery in Canada-U.S. travel could face renewed pressure.

Despite August's year-over-year improvement, Canadian travel to the U.S. remained well below levels recorded two years earlier.

Return trips by automobile increased 9.9 per cent compared with August 2025, but were still 27.4 per cent below August 2024 levels.

Air travel followed a similar pattern. Canadian return trips by air from the U.S. rose 3.6 per cent year over year, while remaining 22.7 per cent lower than in August 2024.

Travel from abroad peaked over the August long weekend, with 176,900 Canadians returning home on Monday, Aug. 3.

More Americans heading north

Meanwhile, U.S. travel to Canada continued to move in the opposite direction.

American residents made 2.4 million trips to Canada in August, up 2.4 per cent from the same month last year and marking a seventh consecutive month of year-over-year growth, according to Statistics Canada.

Of those trips, 1.8 million were made by automobile, an increase of one per cent from August 2025.

Another 629,600 Americans travelled to Canada by air, representing a 6.8 per cent increase year over year.

Bridge shifts border traffic

August was also the first full month of operations for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the new border crossing connecting Windsor, ON and Detroit, Mich.

The bridge handled 134,900 Canadian return trips from the United States during the month, with 56.7 per cent classified as same-day trips.

Another 101,000 trips to Canada were made by U.S. residents using the bridge, of which 52.2 per cent were same-day visits.

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