U.S. tourism industry seeks Canadian visitors amid escalating trade tensions

American tourism groups have launched a series of marketing initiatives aimed at reversing a sharp decline in Canadian visitation. Campaigns such as “NY Loves Canada,” hotel pricing adjustments that treat the Canadian dollar on par with the U.S. dollar, and a planned Brand USA Travel Week event in Canada this October illustrate the sector’s effort to reassure potential guests that they are welcome.

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The downturn follows President Donald Trump’s return to office, during which he suggested making Canada the “51st state” and imposed import taxes of up to 50 percent on a range of Canadian goods. Canada responded with reciprocal tariffs, and the Canadian prime minister Mark Carney dismissed the insults from members of Trump’s cabinet as “childish and undignified.” The bilateral strain has persisted despite a brief easing of border-crossing numbers during the summer of 2026, which coincided with the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Statistics Canada reports that Canadian residents made 25 percent fewer return border crossings in 2025 and spent roughly $2.4 billion (CA$3.3 billion) less on U.S. travel than in 2024. The decline began in September 2023 and continued through June 2026, with the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office estimating even fewer overnight visits in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. Air travel from Canada fell month-over-month, while car trips accounted for most of the modest uptick observed in May-July 2026.

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• “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,” — Deborah Friedland, a hospitality consultant at financial services firm Eisner Advisory Group

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