U.S. travel no longer “on the radar” for many Canadians: survey

A recent survey by Nanos Research for CTV News found that 43 per cent of Canadians say they are less likely to travel to the United States in 2026 compared with the previous year.

Another 38 per cent said they generally don’t vacation in the U.S. at all, while only four per cent reported that they expect to spend more leisure time there.

For many Canadians, “the U.S. is not on the radar in terms of a travel destination,” said Nik Nanos.

Nanos believes Canadian tourism could benefit from this shift, predicting an increase in domestic vacations in 2026.

READ MORE: Car travel from Canada to U.S. drops 13%, air travel falls 17.6%: StatCan

He says the trend is driven by several factors beyond politics, including travellers placing a higher priority on safety.

The survey also found that about 46 per cent of Canadians plan to keep their vacation budgets the same.

“I think the fact that people are worried about their budget probably speaks to another key motivator for Canadians to look at spending their vacation domestically,” said Nanos

Meanwhile, 20 per cent of respondents said they will reduce their travel spending, while 22 per cent plan to increase it.

Travel to the U.S. has already been declining. The most recent figures from Statistics Canada show that return trips by Canadians to the U.S. dropped 25 per cent in December 2025 compared with the same month a year earlier.

Both major travel methods experienced reductions in February, StatCan reported. 

Return trips by automobile fro the U.S. fell 12.9 per cent, while air travel dropped 17.6 per cent compared with February 2025.

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