‘Cold Shoulder’ Diplomacy: Canadians Boycott US Travel Over Trump’s Trade Tariffs and Rhetoric

OTTAWA, CANADA — A significant decline in Canadian travel to the United States is being driven not just by economic factors but by a clear political statement, as citizens choose to boycott trips south of the border to protest the policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration.

For Nova Scotia resident Kristy Gammon, who used to take regular ski trips to New York and attend baseball games in Baltimore, those plans are now entirely off. “We just feel aghast about in terms of how the administration is acting internationally, behaving toward their own citizens, how they’re treating their allies and neighbours, i.e. Canada,” she stated.

This personal decision reflects a national trend. Statistics Canada reports that Canadian travel to the US has declined for ten consecutive months, with air travel down 24% and car travel down over 30% in October alone compared to last year.

The drop coincides with escalating tensions over trade. President Trump imposed a series of tariffs on Canadian goods earlier this year in an attempt to reduce the US trade deficit, adding levies on industries like steel and auto manufacturing. This trade conflict, coupled with Trump’s public comments about making Canada the “51st state,” has prompted a political “cold shoulder” from Canadian consumers.

The most visible sign of the political protest is the change in plans for Canadian snowbirds—retirees who traditionally migrate south for the winter. A recent survey found that only 10% of these baby boomers are planning US trips this year, a sharp 66% drop from last year.

“They’ve completely changed their snowbird plans,” said Gammon, noting some friends have even sold their winter homes in Florida due to the frustrations.

The US Travel Association warns that the steep decline in visitors—who historically inject over $20 billion a year into the US economy—threatens to cause a $5.7 billion loss in international spending this year. While the US hopes events like the FIFA 2026 World Cup can drive a rebound, for committed boycotters like Kristy Gammon, “it would have to be pretty significant changes for us personally to change our minds.”