Tourism coalition calls for policy changes as U.S.-Canada cross-border travel declines

A coalition of major North American tourism associations is urging government leaders to reconsider policies affecting cross-border travel between the United States and Canada as industry data shows significant declines in visitor numbers and mounting concerns about long-term damage to the bilateral tourism relationship.

The Beyond Borders Tourism Coalition reports that Canadian trips to the U.S. by car have dropped nearly 20 per cent in 2025, with some states reporting campground reservations from Canadians down more than 70 per cent. 

International group bookings have declined 30 per cent, according to coalition figures. 

Canadians previously made more than 20 million trips annually to the United States.

In regions like Montana and New Hampshire, businesses that historically relied on Canadians for up to 80 per cent of international visitors are reporting reduced flight capacity and empty accommodations. 

U.S. ski resorts are experiencing decreased Canadian bookings, while border towns that measured success in sold-out weekends are now offering deeply discounted shoulder season rates.

The coalition points to several factors contributing to the downturn, including a new $100 per-person surcharge for international visitors at select U.S. national parks, layered on top of existing entrance fees. 

International visitors will also pay more than triple the previous rate for annual passes, while U.S. residents maintain existing pricing. 

Tour operators who sold 2026 trips 12 to 18 months in advance are now absorbing these unexpected costs or attempting to pass them to clients mid-contract.

Group travel via motorcoach generated nearly $70 billion in direct traveller spending and more than 890,000 U.S. jobs in 2024, according to industry data. 

The coalition notes that tariffs and cross-border policy uncertainty have created challenges for an industry built on long lead times and contractual commitments.

The situation affects travel in both directions. 

While Canadian travel to the U.S. has declined sharply, U.S. travellers are also questioning their welcome in Canada, with Canadian tourism marketers working to reassure American visitors. 

Indigenous and rural communities on both sides of the border, which have spent decades building cross-border tourism relationships, are particularly affected by policy changes.

The coalition also raised concerns about potential social media screening at border crossings, warning that the practice could create a "chilling effect" on tourism as travellers choose destinations where their social media activity is not part of the customs experience.

The Beyond Borders Tourism Coalition brings together United States Tour Operators Association, Canadian Association of Tour Operators, American Bus Association, United Motorcoach Association, Adventure Travel Trade Association, National Tour Association, International Inbound Travel Association, Student & Youth Travel Association, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, American Indigenous Tourism Association, Destination Original Indigenous Tourism and Destinations International. 

The organizations collectively represent thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of workers throughout North America.

The coalition has outlined four policy recommendations: 

• Eliminating surprise fee implementations on previously sold itineraries with adequate consultation and implementation timelines
• Reassessing travel-related tariffs affecting border economies and small businesses
• Replacing negative cross-border rhetoric, including annexation references and "foreigners must pay up" messaging, with pro-tourism language
• Investing in joint marketing, recovery programs and support for gateway and Indigenous communities affected by policy changes they did not design

"Every $100 surprise at a park gate, every new tariff, every off-the-cuff negative comment about our closest neighbour sends a signal," said Shannon Stowell, president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association and founding member of the Beyond Borders Tourism Coalition. 

"Right now, that signal is: 'Maybe don't come or maybe you won't be welcome.' Our ask is simple: stop making it harder and more expensive for Canadians and Americans to visit each other and start acting like the longest undefended border in the world, and our subsequent longstanding relationships, are still something worth exploring and protecting – together."

The coalition is asking leaders in Washington, Ottawa and border states and provinces to treat the U.S.-Canada tourism relationship as a valuable economic asset rather than a source of policy uncertainty.

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