US–Canada travel continued to contract in December, underscoring persistent weakness in cross-border movements between the two countries, according to latest data from Statistics Canada.
US residents made 981,800 trips to Canada by automobile during the month, a 9.0% decline compared with December 2024 and the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year decreases. While overall volumes remained subdued, travel spiked immediately after Christmas. From Friday, December 26, to Saturday, December 27, average daily arrivals reached 67,300—nearly 70% higher than other Friday-to-Saturday periods in December.
Air travel from the United States also softened. US-resident arrivals to Canada by air fell 8.9% year over year in December, contributing to an overall decline in non-resident air arrivals. On the Canadian side, return travel from the United States dropped even more sharply. Canadian-resident return trips by air from the US declined 18.7% to 470,700.
Meanwhile, return trips from by automobile from Canadian residents are collapsing. In December, trips plunged 30.7% to 1.3 million—marking the 12th consecutive month of decline in that category.
Despite the downturn, year-end travel patterns showed some holiday peaks. The highest number of returning Canadian residents by automobile was recorded on Sunday, December 28, when 73,800 arrivals were logged—28.5% above the average for other Sundays in the month.
Beyond US–Canada flows, overall international travel to Canada remained under pressure. Preliminary data show a combined 4.6 million international arrivals by air and automobile in December, including returning Canadians and non-residents. This represented a 12.7% decline from December 2024 and marked the 11th straight month of year-over-year decreases.
Non-resident arrivals to Canada by air totaled 752,700 in December, down 1.1% from a year earlier. While arrivals from the United States declined, overseas markets provided partial support, with air arrivals from overseas residents increasing 6.6%.
Holiday travel dynamics were again evident in overseas flows. Saturday, December 20 recorded the highest number of overseas and US non-resident air arrivals of the month, with 25,800 overseas visitors and 18,000 US residents arriving in Canada. That total was nearly double the average for other Saturdays in December, reflecting strong pre-Christmas demand.
Canadian-resident return trips by air from abroad totaled 1.6 million in December, down slightly by 0.1% year over year. Growth in returns from overseas destinations—up 10.4% to 1.1 million trips—was offset by the sharp decline in travel from the United States. End-of-year travel peaked between December 30 and 31, when daily returning arrivals averaged 71,500, nearly 60% higher than other mid-week periods in the month.
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