62% of Canadians less likely to travel to the U.S. next year: Flight Centre

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians who plan on travelling next year are setting their sights on destinations other than the U.S., according to the latest travel survey data.

Flight Centre Canada released the findings of a new survey, which was conducted by YouGov in November 2025 and shared with Global News.

The study asked just over 1,000 adult Canadians about their travel intentions for 2026.

Sixty-two per cent of respondents said they were less likely to travel to the U.S. in 2026 compared to the previous year.

A separate Ipsos poll conducted in September exclusively for Global News found six in 10 Canadians said they could never trust the U.S. the same way again.

Another Global News Ipsos poll conducted in June found around three-quarters of Canadians surveyed said they intended to avoid travel to the U.S., while 72 per cent said they were avoiding U.S.-made goods.

When those September Ipsos poll results were released, Kyle Braid, senior vice-president of Ipsos Public Affairs, had told Global News, “Canadian anger against Trump and the U.S. administration does not really appear to be waning.”

U.S. President Donald Trump launched a trade war earlier this year by imposing tariffs on virtually all countries, including Canada. That was in addition to repeating statements that Canada should become the “51st state.”

6:00 What to know about new U.S. border rules

Flight Centre Canada says 70 per cent of respondents to its survey said they are still planning one or two trips for next year, and 30 per cent are planning three or more.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Of those willing to travel next year, 37 per cent said they are looking at destinations within Canada, 25 per cent in Europe, nine per cent in Mexico and nine per cent in Asia.

Eight per cent of respondents said they will likely travel to the U.S. in 2026.

Older Canadians are most likely to say they will avoid travel to the U.S. next year, according to the survey findings, which showed 76 per cent of respondents voicing that feeling identified as Baby Boomers and older, 63 per cent were Gen X, 53 per cent were Millennials and 48 per cent were Gen Z.

As for why respondents said they were avoiding travel to the U.S., 57 per cent said it was because of the perceived political and cultural climate, 53 per cent said it was because of processing at the border, 46 per cent said it was safety considerations, and 44 per cent said it was more of a monetary issue relating to some costs and exchange rates.

1:53 Montana tourism organization launches Kalispell Canadian Welcome Pass

Flight Centre Canada also says that so far in 2025, leisure bookings by Canadians to the U.S. have been down as much as 40 per cent year-over-year.

“Since February 2025, Flight Centre Canada’s leisure bookings to the United States represented a smaller share of overall bookings, approximately 30-40 per cent lower year over year,” said a Flight Centre Canada spokesperson in an emailed press release sent to Global News.

“At the same time, overall travel remained steady, with Canadians increasingly choosing destinations viewed as predictable and good value, including Europe, the Caribbean, South America and Asia.”

Statistics Canada reported earlier this month that October marked the ninth straight monthly decline in Canadian air passengers heading to U.S. destinations.