Canadian Boomers Cut U.s. Winter Travel Plans By 66%: Political And Financial Factors At Play

Published on November 2, 2025

A caller study reveals a important alteration successful nan recreation plans of Canadians for nan upcoming wintertime season. The Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA) released nan 2025 Winter Smart Traveller Survey, showing that less Canadians are readying trips to nan U.S. this winter. The displacement is particularly pronounced among older generations, pinch only 10% of babe boomers intending to recreation south—a stark opposition to erstwhile years. As governmental tensions and rising recreation costs proceed to power recreation decisions, much Canadians are considering alternatives to U.S. destinations, and this could person a awesome effect connected home tourism.

The Decline successful U.S. Travel for Canadian Snowbirds

For decades, Canadian snowbirds—Canadians who migrate southbound for nan winter, often to warmer U.S. states—have made up a ample information of wintertime tourism to nan U.S. However, nan latest study from THIA shows a melodramatic diminution successful nan number of Canadians heading southbound this winter. The study recovered that only 26% of Canadians are readying to recreation to nan U.S. this season. This represents a crisp 37% driblet from nan erstwhile year, signaling a important alteration successful recreation habits.

The astir notable alteration is seen among babe boomers, who person traditionally made up nan mostly of nan snowbird population. According to nan survey, only 10% of babe boomers scheme to sojourn nan U.S. this winter. This marks a striking 66% diminution successful U.S. recreation plans for this demographic compared to past year. For a procreation that typically enjoys spending nan wintertime months successful states for illustration Florida and Arizona, this displacement is simply a clear parameter that outer factors are influencing recreation decisions.

What’s Driving nan Change successful Travel Plans?

While location are respective reasons down this shift, 2 factors guidelines out: governmental tensions betwixt Canada and nan U.S. and nan rising costs of travel. Many Canadians person cited these reasons arsenic cardinal drivers for their determination to debar U.S. recreation this winter.

Political Tensions and Border Policies

The existent governmental ambiance successful nan U.S. has near galore Canadian travelers uneasy. The Trump administration’s separator policies and their effect connected world visitors person created a consciousness of discomfort. According to Marion Joppe, a professor emerita astatine nan University of Guelph’s School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, there’s a increasing “anti-U.S. sentiment” among immoderate world tourists, and this includes Canadians. The accrued information measures, including stricter separator controls and concerns astir unpredictable experiences astatine nan U.S. border, person contributed to a reluctance to recreation south.

Furthermore, nan U.S. has introduced caller regulations requiring overseas nationals, including Canadians, who scheme to enactment for much than 30 days to registry pinch nan government. This has led to disorder and inconsistent experiences astatine nan border, peculiarly for Canadian travelers who study varied curen erstwhile crossing into nan U.S. Some travelers person recovered themselves subjected to fingerprinting and photographing astatine separator crossings—an rumor that has caused vexation for Canadian snowbirds.

Rising Costs of Travel

Another important facet influencing Canadian recreation habits is nan rising costs of travel. Nearly half of nan study respondents (41%) cited nan accrued costs of recreation arsenic nan superior logic for their determination to debar nan U.S. this winter. Higher airfare prices, accommodation costs, and wide expenses person made recreation to nan U.S. little charismatic for galore Canadians. For babe boomers, who are often connected fixed incomes, nan rising costs whitethorn make it much difficult to warrant agelong stays successful nan U.S., particularly erstwhile considering nan added complexities and fees associated pinch separator crossings.

While younger Canadians are still much apt to recreation to nan U.S. than older generations, nan study shows that moreover Gen Z’s enthusiasm for U.S. recreation has waned. Only 44% of Gen Z respondents scheme to sojourn nan U.S. this winter, a alteration of 18% from nan erstwhile year. This suggests that governmental tensions and rising recreation costs are affecting each property groups, albeit to varying degrees.

The Impact connected Canadian Domestic Tourism

As much Canadians opt retired of walking to nan U.S. this winter, galore are turning their attraction to home destinations wrong Canada. Experts foretell that this displacement could springiness a important boost to home tourism. Marion Joppe of nan University of Guelph suggests that pinch less Canadians heading south, much will apt take to research nan divers attractions Canada has to offer.

Canada’s immense landscapes and assortment of recreation experiences—from skiing successful nan Rockies to exploring vibrant cities for illustration Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto—make it an perfect destination for those looking to enactment adjacent to home. For galore Canadians, this displacement presents an opportunity to research parts of their ain state they mightiness ne'er person considered before.

Joppe pointed retired that galore Canadians person ne'er explored their ain country, suggesting that this wintertime could beryllium an perfect opportunity for them to observe much of what Canada has to offer. She besides mentioned that nan summation successful home tourism could use Canada’s section economies, arsenic much group look for wintertime vacations wrong their ain borders.

Younger Canadians Are Still Traveling South, but Trends Are Shifting

While nan wide number of Canadians walking to nan U.S. has dropped, younger generations are still much apt to caput southbound for nan wintertime than older Canadians. According to nan survey, 44% of Gen Z respondents scheme to sojourn nan U.S., compared to conscionable 10% of babe boomers. However, moreover wrong this group, nan figures person dropped from past year, reflecting nan broader inclination of reduced U.S. recreation among Canadians.

Will McAleer, executive head astatine THIA, explains that “Gen Z and millennials are not avoiding nan U.S. pinch nan aforesaid ferocity arsenic older Canadians are.” Younger travelers, peculiarly those from Gen Z, are still drawn to nan U.S. for reasons specified arsenic warmer weather, taste experiences, and entree to awesome cities. Despite nan governmental tensions and higher costs, nan U.S. remains a celebrated destination for younger Canadians.

Preparing for a Change successful nan U.S.-Canada Travel Landscape

The diminution successful U.S. recreation among Canadians has nan imaginable to reshape nan North American recreation landscape. With much Canadians choosing to enactment wrong their ain country, tourism operators successful Canada are expected to use from an influx of home visitors. Popular destinations for illustration Banff, Quebec City, and Niagara Falls are apt to spot an uptick successful visitors looking for wintertime vacations person to home.

Meanwhile, U.S. destinations that person traditionally relied connected Canadian snowbirds, specified arsenic Florida, Arizona, and California, whitethorn acquisition a diminution successful Canadian visitors. The U.S. recreation manufacture will request to accommodate to these changing trends by uncovering caller ways to pull world tourists, including offering competitory pricing and easing recreation restrictions.

What Travelers Should Know

For Canadians readying to recreation this winter, it’s important to enactment informed astir nan changing scenery of recreation to nan U.S. and wrong Canada. If you’re considering a travel south, make judge to enactment up-to-date connected U.S. separator policies, particularly nan caller registration requirements for travelers staying much than 30 days. You’ll besides want to beryllium prepared for perchance higher recreation costs and immoderate further complications astatine nan border.

If you’re opting for a home wintertime getaway, Canada has plentifulness to offer. From skiing and snowboarding successful nan Rockies to taste festivals and scenic train rides, there’s nary shortage of astonishing experiences to beryllium had wrong Canada. Whether you’re readying a wintertime flight aliases simply looking for a caller spot to explore, see staying adjacent to location and discovering nan beauty of Canada’s divers landscapes.

Conclusion: A New Era of Travel for Canadians

Canadians look to beryllium changing really they deliberation astir wintertime travel, arsenic evidenced by nan steep driblet successful recreation to nan United States. Although costlier trips and geopolitical tensions whitethorn beryllium reasons, nan much caller attitudes of millennials and a maturation successful home tourism are “white-washing” nan early of travel. With much Canadians opting to recreation successful Canada this winter, nan Canadian tourism manufacture benefits. Explorers successful Canada will beryllium capable to admit nan corners of their country, which they whitethorn person antecedently overlooked.