Canadian travel to U.S. rises for third month, but remains below pre-pandemic levels

Canadian travel to the United States is showing signs of recovery, with 2.3 million return trips recorded in June. This marks the third consecutive month of year-over-year growth, following a prolonged period of 15 months with declining numbers. However, the overall volume of these trips is still significantly lower, standing 24.6% below the levels seen in June 2024.

Within the travel data, return trips by automobile saw a notable increase of 7.6% compared to June 2025, reaching 1.7 million. Same-day trips constituted over 66% of these auto returns. Conversely, air travel from the U.S. to Canada continued its downward trend, decreasing by 1.2% to 546,500 trips. Travel by cruise ship experienced a substantial rise of 13.6%, reaching 20,700 trips.

Simultaneously, Americans are increasing their travel to Canada. U.S. resident trips to Canada reached three million in June, up 6.1% from the previous year. This represents the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year increases. Arrivals by cruise ship from the U.S. saw a significant jump of 20.5%, while auto arrivals increased by 8.1%. Air arrivals from the U.S. saw a slight decrease of 1.3%.

Overseas travel to Canada also grew, with 811,000 arrivals in June, a 3.4% increase from the prior year. The United Kingdom, India, and France were the top three countries of origin for these visitors. The increase in overseas arrivals was bolstered by growth from Europe, the Americas (excluding the U.S.), and Oceania. Statistics Canada attributed the significant rise in arrivals from Oceania, particularly from Australia and New Zealand, to the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches hosted in Vancouver.