U.S. tourism organizations have launched a nationwide campaign featuring billboards, banners and online advertisements to attract Canadian travelers as cross-border visits decline. The promotional push comes as data shows Canadian residents made 25% fewer return border crossings in 2025 than they had the year before.

American tourism groups have placed messages proclaiming a state or city's love for Canada, while online ads offer special deals for travelers from the north. New York state launched a "NY Loves Canada" promotion this summer with discounts at hotels, restaurants and attractions. Some downtown Las Vegas hotels are treating the Canadian dollar as equivalent to the U.S. dollar, and Las Vegas tourism officials traveled to Canada last month to meet with travel advisers and airline representatives. Brand USA is bringing its Travel Week trade-event series to Canada for the first time in October, expanding an earlier program known as Canada Connect.

The decline in travel follows a collapse in trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canadian governments last month. President Donald Trump imposed import taxes of up to 50% on a range of Canadian products, prompting the Canadian government to impose retaliatory import taxes on U.S. goods. The White House said the tariffs were intended to address U.S. complaints over Canadian barriers to American-made automobiles, alcohol and dairy. President Donald Trump also ordered the U.S. government to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America," and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed insults from members of Trump's Cabinet as childish and undignified.

Canadian air travel to the U.S. started declining in September 2023. By 2025, Canadian residents spent about $2.4 billion (CA$3.3 billion) less on travel to the U.S. than they had the year before. Florida saw a 7% decline in Canadian visitors in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Visit California estimated that Canadian visitation to California fell 20%, citing data from Tourism Economics. The U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office estimates that during the first six months of 2026, Canadians made fewer overnight visits to the U.S. than they did during the same period the previous year.

Statistics Canada analysts stated in a July report that the pullback in stateside travel signaled "a persistent shift away from the United States by Canadian residents in their travel preferences." Josh Loewen, a 45-year-old marketing executive and resident of Vancouver, said his family has not traveled to the U.S. since President Trump’s inauguration and does not plan to until there is a new president. His family chose Mexico for vacation this year instead of the United States. "It’s such a big ask right now. It’s just a wasted effort," Loewen said.

Eileen March, a 41-year-old life coach from Calgary, refuses to book flights with layovers in the U.S. "As time has worn on, I was beginning to waver. The latest round of tariffs reinforced my initial decision to not travel in the U.S. at all while he is in office," March said. She added, "I think that’ll really depend on who is elected next, their values and the relationship they attempt to foster or repair with Canada." Deborah Friedland, a hospitality consultant at Eisner Advisory Group, noted the volatility of the situation.

"You went from this really high, exciting moment for the U.S. in terms of international attention, to the next week, it’s negative again. It’s one step forward and two steps back," Friedland said. She added, "I’d be surprised if we’re talking a year from now and all of a sudden you see this huge uptick in Canadian travel over the winter months." Jennifer Adams, tourism director for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area in Florida’s Panhandle, defended the outreach efforts. "I felt our message was strong. The thing for us is to let the Canadian family know that they are welcomed here and we are committed to giving them a great experience when they get here," Adams said. Steve Hill, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said, "We’re here to make sure you know that we care about Canada."

The political tensions persisted even during shared international events. The U.S. Canada and Mexico cohosted the 2026 World Cup, and Canada’s national soccer team competed during the early weeks of the tournament. Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the World Cup final match in New Jersey alongside President Donald Trump. A day after the World Cup ended, President Donald Trump announced that tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods would take effect in 30 days.