Canadian Tourists Abandon US National Parks as Trump Tensions Grow
Fewer Canadians are visiting American national parks this year, creating problems for businesses that depend on their tourism dollars.
US national parks and nearby towns are seeing Canadian tourists cancel their trips and spend less money. This trend started earlier this year and continues to get worse.
This decline in Canadian visitors is happening across the United States, reports National Parks Traveler in their investigation of tourism patterns at America’s most treasured natural places.
“Canadian visitation is down and cancellations from Canada are up”, said Amy Geldean, who works for Xanterra Travel Collections, a company that runs hotels and shops in many national parks including Grand Canyon, Glacier, Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone.
Unfavorable currency
Xanterra noticed this problem beginning in February. Geldean explained, “It’s impossible to know the exact reasons reservations are being canceled, but reports we are seeing indicate that Canadians are pulling back for a variety of reasons, from an unfavorable currency exchange rate to long waits for visas, among other factors.”
The numbers show a clear decline. US Customs and Border Protection reports that 8.9 million people crossed from Canada into the US in March, down from 9.4 million last year. Statistics Canada shows an even bigger drop – 13.5 percent fewer Canadians flew home from the US this March compared to last year, and almost 32 percent fewer drove home.
This decline hurts local economies near national parks. In Whitefish, Montana, near Glacier National Park, spending by Canadian tourists has dropped more than 14 percent compared to last year.
Significant losses
“We’re definitely seeing rather significant losses”, said Julie Mullins, who leads the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Center. She found that Canadian spending in Whitefish fell from $684,413 in February 2024 to $553,470 in February this year.
Many experts believe President Trump’s recent statements and policies toward Canada are a major reason for this decline. Trump’s comments about making Canada the “51st state” and his new tariffs have upset many Canadians. Some are also worried about crossing the border because of Trump’s tough immigration policies.
No longer interested
Canadian travel writers report that many Canadian newspapers and magazines have stopped publishing stories about US travel destinations because readers are no longer interested.
Not all parks are suffering equally. Some places like Great Smoky Mountains National Park haven’t seen big changes in their bookings. European tourists were still planning trips to US parks before Trump announced new tariffs on April 2.
If these trends continue alongside a possible US recession, national parks could face a difficult summer season with fewer visitors and less income.
