Canadians Keep US Trips Private Amid Cross Border Tensions

Political and trade tensions between Canada and the United States have changed how some Canadians approach cross-border vacations, with travelers choosing to keep trips private rather than share them on social media. Families continue visiting destinations for sporting events, concerts and theme parks, but concerns about public judgment have influenced how they discuss their travel plans.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians made 39 million return trips across the US-Canada border in 2024. After US President Donald Trump introduced tariffs and made controversial remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state, cross-border travel declined for 15 consecutive months before the trend reversed in April 2026.

The 2026 Canadian Travel and Tourism Outlook study from Environics Research found that six in 10 Canadians were either actively avoiding travel to the United States or felt conflicted about visiting. The study found that 46% were actively avoiding US travel, while another 15% said they would travel there but had reservations.

Statistics Canada recorded a gradual increase in Canadians crossing the border during the summer of 2026. However, travel remained 25.6% below the level recorded during the same period in 2024.

Stefanie Ricchio, a Toronto-based chartered professional accountant, continued her family's annual tradition of visiting New York City for her daughter's birthday and attending a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. This year, however, the family chose not to publicize the trip.

Ricchio explained that the decision reflected discomfort about spending money in the United States while maintaining a meaningful family tradition.

"I felt like this is not really something that I want to broadcast because I feel like I shouldn’t be spending my money there," said Stefanie Ricchio, a Toronto-based chartered professional accountant.

She said the trip also carried personal significance that she did not want to sacrifice because of political tensions.

"There’s that conflict of (being a) super-proud Canadian, but also these are our traditions and memories that mean something to my daughter that I didn’t want to give up," said Ricchio.

Ricchio also described feeling uneasy about how friends and family might react to her decision to travel south. She said some people might question why she traveled to New York to watch the Yankees when Toronto also has a baseball team.

"If I did have to tell somebody that I was going, I felt a little bit of angst. Are they judging me? Saying, ‘You could just watch the Yankees play here in Toronto,’" said Ricchio.

Kemi Wells-Conrad, founder and president of Wells Luxury Travel in Vancouver, said her clients have responded to the tensions in different ways. Some have canceled planned US vacations or avoided connecting flights through American airports, while others continue traveling for family reasons.

Wells-Conrad said destinations such as Hawaii remain attractive to families because of their resorts and established holiday traditions. Some travelers also own homes in Arizona or the Hawaiian islands.

She said some clients have deliberately avoided discussing their travel plans publicly.

"I definitely had people saying, ‘Oh, I’m not telling my friends I’m going,’ or ‘not posting on social media that I’m going,’" said Wells-Conrad.

She added that some Canadians view Hawaii differently from other US destinations because of its distinct culture, even though it is part of the United States.

Barry Choi, a Toronto-based personal finance and loyalty program expert, initially kept his US trips private but later began sharing them on Instagram, where he has more than 12,000 followers. He travels across the border for both professional and personal reasons and has received criticism for posting about those visits.

Choi said his travel decisions are driven by personal relationships and experiences rather than support for the US president. He pointed to friends and family living in Florida, California and New York, as well as attractions unavailable in Canada.

"The reality is, I’m not going to the US to visit Donald Trump. I go there to see friends, family, and things that we don’t have here in Canada. If there was like a Disney World in Vaughan," said Choi, referring to a suburb of Toronto, "of course I wouldn’t go to Orlando. Or if my friends and family lived here in Canada rather than Miami, California, New York, there’d be no reason to go."

Choi said he eventually decided to share his experiences to give his followers a clearer picture of how Canadians are received during visits to the United States. During a trip to the Palm Beaches, he said, several local residents apologized for Trump's actions after learning he was Canadian.

"I was in the Palm Beaches, and every single local I talked to, as soon as I told them I’m from Canada, apologized for the president," said Choi.

He recalled that some residents also expressed opposition to the president and said the experience surprised him.

"They’re like, ‘I didn’t vote for him. Most people here do not like him. I found that to be a bit shocking, to be honest,’" said Choi.

Choi said the economic and political tensions affect people on both sides of the border.

"I do feel like the people there are feeling the same struggles as us," said Choi.

Other travelers have reconsidered whether US trips remain worthwhile. Caleigh, a Toronto-based marketing executive who withheld her last name because she feared backlash, drove to upstate New York to attend a Hayley Williams concert but kept the journey private.

Caleigh said opposition from family and hesitation among friends contributed to her uncertainty about traveling to the United States. She had considered skipping the concert and reselling her tickets as political rhetoric and additional tariffs intensified shortly before the event.

She also questioned whether conditions at the border might change before the trip. Although she ultimately traveled to the concert, her experience reflected the concerns some Canadians continue to weigh when deciding whether to visit the United States.