Canadians Shift US Travel Plans as Trump Tensions Deepen

Political tensions between Canada and the United States are reshaping Canadian travel plans, with fewer visitors heading to Las Vegas and more retirees choosing winter destinations elsewhere. Reports published October 13, 2026, by CBC News and The Globe and Mail describe how trade disputes, concerns about feeling welcome, unfavorable exchange rates and rising living expenses are influencing travel decisions and creating economic and political pressure in the United States.

According to CBC News, Canadian visits to Las Vegas fell 17.4 percent last year, contributing to the largest decline in visitors outside the COVID-19 pandemic since the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority began collecting records in 1970. Airport passenger data compiled by CBC News indicates that Canadian airline traffic to the city has fallen further in 2026 compared with 2025.

Visitor numbers, airport arrivals and hotel occupancy also declined in August. Barely half of downtown Las Vegas hotel rooms were occupied that month, while tourism executives identified reduced Canadian travel as a factor behind weaker demand.

Nevada Democrats have made the downturn part of their campaign messaging ahead of the November midterm elections, connecting the tourism decline to President Donald Trump's trade policies and threats toward Canada. The state is particularly exposed because Canada is its largest source of international tourists.

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents about 60,000 casino and hospitality workers in Nevada, has joined Democrats in criticizing the administration. Union president Diana Valles said workers and their families were bearing the economic consequences of the dispute.

"Donald Trump is directly responsible for this — it's all his fault and it's totally unnecessary, God knows why he's doing it, Canadians are our biggest customer. But, at the end the day, Trump's not paying any price. It's the workers and the families that are here," Valles said in an interview with CBC News.

The union plans to increase its political criticism as the election approaches. Republicans, meanwhile, have highlighted Trump's policy eliminating taxes on tips, which was enacted in 2025 and has benefited hospitality workers. However, declining visitor numbers could reduce the tips employees receive.

Las Vegas hospitality workers have described losing Canadian customers. Spencer Ridenour, a bartender at Chandelier inside the Cosmopolitan, said Canadian visitors who previously attended hockey games and visited bars before and after matches had become noticeably less common.

"We used to have Canadians coming for hockey games, they used to come out before and after a game. I have not ID'ed a Canadian in months — this is serious stuff, it's not good for our economy," Ridenour said.

Ridenour also described the broader economic situation in the city as a downturn linked to the trade dispute. A spokesperson for Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo did not respond to CBC News' request for comment.

The tourism decline is also affecting Nevada's political campaigns. Democratic Rep. Susie Lee has criticized tariffs in her campaign against Republican opponent Marty O'Donnell, who has defended Trump's trade policy. Meanwhile, data cited by CBC News shows visits from Mexico, another country involved in a US tariff dispute, have increased slightly year over year, highlighting the particularly sharp decline in Canadian travel.

The shift extends beyond Nevada. A Globe and Mail survey found that 12.5 percent of Canadian snowbird respondents planned to visit the United States during the coming winter, down from approximately one-quarter the previous year. Allianz Canada data also indicates that the United States is no longer the leading winter destination for Canadian travelers.

Retirees Kathrin and Greg Delutis of Waterloo, Ontario, have replaced their usual three-month Florida stay with trips to destinations including Mexico, the Dominican Republic and St. Lucia. They cited political unease, the weak Canadian dollar, rising living expenses and higher property and health insurance costs.

"I was quite blunt with them. I said, 'Because we don't feel welcome, nor do we feel safe in the U.S.,'" Kathrin Delutis said, describing conversations with American tourists during a vacation in Mexico.

She also explained that the exchange rate has affected their retirement spending decisions.

"We're definitely folk who like to experience the culture of where we're staying. But it's also a matter of how best to spend our retirement savings. With the U.S.-Canada dollar disparity now, there's a significant difference in what we're paying in the Dominican compared to what we [would] pay in the U.S.," she said.

Travel advisers report growing interest in Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Malta and the Canary Islands. Some retirees are testing destinations for six to eight weeks rather than spending three months in the United States, while inviting relatives to join them for part of their stays.

Angela Douglas, director of operations for Murdoch Travel in Waterloo, said travelers were increasingly interested in exploring alternatives and spending time with family abroad.

"People are really ready to try something new," Douglas said.

She also described an increase in trips involving several generations of the same family.

"We're seeing a lot more multigenerational travel because it is a big world out there and people are realizing that life is short," she said.

Other retirees have ended longstanding arrangements in the United States. Gay and John Slinger of Guelph, Ontario, spent winters in Arizona beginning in 2016 before eventually selling their property and relocating their winter stays to Portugal. Gay Slinger said Trump's 2024 reelection prompted the couple to abandon plans to return.

"John and I had a chat right then. By the end of that chat we had decided, 'Okay. That's it. We're not going back,'" Slinger said.

Travelers considering longer stays abroad must also account for immigration, tax and health coverage requirements. A separate report published October 11, 2026, by Yahoo Finance Canada explained that Canadians staying in the United States for 30 days or more may need to comply with federal registration requirements introduced through a rule finalized by the Department of Homeland Security, effective June 29, 2026.

Many Canadians entering by air receive an electronic Form I-94 arrival record that counts as registration. Travelers entering by land may need to check their records and, if no qualifying record exists, submit Form G-325R online through US Citizenship and Immigration Services before reaching the 30-day threshold.

Canadian travelers must also consider potential US tax obligations and provincial health insurance limits during extended absences. Canada's government has warned that US border officials have significant discretion over admission and that travelers refused entry may be detained while awaiting deportation.

Statistics Canada figures published for September 2026 show that Canadian return trips from the United States by automobile and air rose 6.8 percent compared with September 2025. Despite that annual increase, automobile return trips remained 31.1 percent below September 2024 levels, while air return trips were 18.7 percent lower.

In the same month, US-resident trips to Canada by automobile and air increased 17.2 percent year over year to 1.8 million, marking the eighth consecutive month of annual growth. Trips to Canada by air and automobile from overseas residents also rose 7.3 percent.