Canadian Snowbirds Reveal They’re Canceling The U.S., But Not Because Of President Trump

Canada’s journey boycott of the US stays sturdy, which started following President Donald Trump’s “51st state” remarks and his subsequent tariff battle. Whereas Canadian vacationers to the U.S. have been on a constant decline (prompting some states to beg for their return and others to demand an apology from Trump), Canadian snowbirds are often loyal to the U.S. Given their stronger monetary ties to the U.S., Canadian snowbirds have been anticipated to interrupt the boycott. However a brand new survey truly suggests they’re both staying dwelling or heading elsewhere this winter.

The Journey Well being Insurance coverage Affiliation of Canada’s (THIA) 2025 Winter Sensible Traveller Survey found that simply 26% of Canadians are prone to go to the U.S., representing a 37% pullback from 2024. It additionally revealed that some Canadians plan to go to Europe as a substitute, together with Portugal and Spain, and that Mexico and the Caribbean are in demand.

Surprisingly, the most important decline was noticed amongst child boomers, who’re historically the “snowbird era.” What’s much more attention-grabbing are the explanation why. In accordance with the survey, this is why extra snowbirds are ditching the U.S. this winter—and the primary cause is not even political.

Extra Canadian Snowbirds Say They’re Canceling U.S. Journey This Winter For Causes Past Trump’s Politics

November marks the start of the snowbird season, when Canadians pack their baggage and head for hotter, sunnier U.S. states down south, together with Florida, Arizona. However the THIA’s new survey not solely reveals an enormous drop in Canadians planning to cross the border for the winter; it additionally uncovered the explanation why.

Why Canadian Snowbirds Are Avoiding U.S. Journey This Winter: A Breakdown

Unsurprisingly, 40% of Canadians surveyed cited political tensions with the U.S. among the many causes they’re skipping touring south this winter. President Trump’s commerce battle with Canada and annexation remarks are a significant cause many Canadians have boycotted U.S. journey this yr; journey data from Statistics Canada launched in October reveals Canadian visits to the U.S. by street fell 35% in September year-on-year. Air journey additionally dropped by 27%. Nevertheless, the survey discovered that politics is not truly the largest cause.

Essentially the most cited cause was the rising value of journey; almost half of Canadians surveyed are frightened about inflated journey prices. Simply over 1 / 4 are bothered by trade charges, and round a fifth are anxious about their security within the U.S.

“There’s a considerably anti-U.S. sentiment (amongst vacationers). There’s additionally a sure worry due to the border safety points that the Trump administration has imposed,” Marion Joppe, professor emerita on the College of Guelph’s College of Hospitality, Meals and Tourism Administration, said to Global News.

The steepest nosedive is amongst child boomers, who would usually spend winters within the southern U.S. The survey discovered that simply 10% of Canadians aged 61 years and older are prone to journey to the U.S., a 66% decline from 2024.

In the meantime, though official authorities statistics do not exist, a 2023 report by Snowbird Advisor estimates roughly half of Canadian snowbirds (round 425,000 to 500,000) personal actual property within the U.S., most of whom are an older demographic and are usually retired or semi-retired. This yr, nevertheless, they’re more and more getting out of American actual property.

“We’ve definitely seen a transfer by some to get away from possession or long-term leases within the U.S. in favor of the Caribbean and Mexico,” stated government director at THIA, Will McAleer, as reported by CTV Information.

Florida has seen related homeownership developments; though many Canadian snowbirds remain loyal to Florida (even paying a 70% premium for travel this year), an growing quantity are selling their U.S. vacation homes and not buying new property as much as in earlier years, a report by Canadian actual property firm, Royal Lepage, discovered. Royal Lepage additionally revealed that:

• 54% of Canadian actual property house owners within the U.S. are contemplating promoting inside the subsequent yr
• 32% of Canadians who lately bought or plan to promote say they intend to reinvest in Canadian actual property

Once more, politics is among the many causes cited, however for many Canadian snowbirds, the rising cost of home insurance and property taxes in Florida is driving them out. Different points leaving a bitter style in Canadian mouths are tighter entry guidelines and new charges for these visiting the U.S. for prolonged durations, which lately brought about a stir on the U.S.-Canada border when a couple from Canada were fingerprinted and charged $60 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Declining Snowbird Curiosity Comes At The Similar Time As The U.S. Is Imposing New Entry Necessities On Canadians

Canadian snowbirds’ change in sentiment towards the U.S. comes simply as a new federal rule for foreigners, together with Canadians, is being carried out for these staying within the nation for an prolonged timeframe (as defined within the YouTube video above). Canadians visiting the U.S. for greater than 30 days should now register with the American authorities, present their fingerprints, be photographed, and pay a $30-per-person price with the intention to keep away from penalties.

The Canadian Snowbird Affiliation lately responded to the brand new ruling in a statement on the finish of October, saying that the brand new necessities have brought about “inconsistent experiences” on the border for Canadians.

“Regardless of latest claims from U.S. authorities that fingerprinting and photographing Canadian vacationers, staying within the U.S. for 30 days or extra, is a part of a brand new coverage, our members have reported inconsistent experiences at numerous land border crossings,” the Canadian Snowbird Affiliation wrote.

The group additionally warned Canadian travelers of longer processing times for those visiting in December, when the ruling is anticipated to be enforced at extra border factors.

The brand new rule on the U.S. border is scheduled to take impact on December 26, 2025. Many Canadians report it is being enforced at numerous border crossings, nevertheless.

Different journey specialists have additionally weighed in. “Having your photograph taken and your fingerprints achieved feels actually incorrect to us, however there are actually a whole lot of international locations which have been doing this for the previous decade,” stated journey skilled Barry Choi, in keeping with CTV News. Nonetheless, even with stricter border guidelines and new charges, together with growing journey prices, unfavorable trade charges for Canadians, and issues about security within the U.S., some specialists imagine many Canadians will nonetheless present loyalty to their southern neighbor.

Some Specialists Imagine Canadians Will Nonetheless Journey To The U.S. This Winter

Choi additionally defined that he believes households will proceed to go to U.S. sights, equivalent to Disney World and Disneyland, in addition to Las Vegas and different common American locations, regardless of the general drop in Canadian guests. Nevertheless, he famous that some Canadians who do journey to the U.S. may “maintain a decrease profile” and keep away from posting about it on social media.

“If somebody is a snowbird they usually have a house in Florida or Arizona, nicely after all they’re going to go,” Choi stated, as reported by CTV Information. Glenn Williamson, CEO of the Canada Arizona Enterprise Council (CABC), famous related expectations for Canadian snowbird developments in Arizona throughout an interview with The Journey in October.

“This is identical factor occurring in Arizona. I anticipate a 20% drop in tourism from approx 900k to 720k and little or no drop in snowbird exercise,” R. Glenn Williamson of the CABC instructed The Journey.

Equally, Stephen Advantageous of the Canadian Snowbirds Affiliation told The Logic that “Snowbirds are extra tied to the U.S. than different vacationers,” which explains a few of their reluctance to outright abandon journey throughout the border.

In the end, whereas President Trump’s politics do play a significant function in Canadian snowbirds (and vacationers) shunning U.S. journey this winter, the THIA’s survey suggests it is not the primary cause. Because it seems, excessive journey prices are driving Canadians away, particularly snowbirds who’re often loyal to the U.S. every winter.

“If some U.S. locations begin to go on sale, possibly that simple journey over the border nonetheless prevails,” stated McAleer on the THIA, per CTV Information. Whether or not that occurs is but to be seen, although cities like Las Vegas have already launched massive discounts this year to win back visitors, together with Canadians. Who is aware of what is going to occur by way of winter, particularly as Canadian sentiment toward the U.S. is beginning to shift, even when many vacationers from Canada aren’t fairly able to put cross-border journeys again on their radar simply but.