Why Is Canadian Tourism Declining in U.S. Border States Like Minnesota?
Because of the trade tariffs imposed during the Trump administration, along with remarks suggesting Canada should be considered the “51st state” and an increase in nationalist sentiment, travel from Canada to the U.S. and nearby areas such as Minnesota has seen a consistent decrease.
“The drop is rather substantial,” remarks Canadian Consul General in Minneapolis, Beth Richardson.
The biggest group of foreign tourists visiting Minnesota comes from Canada, and Richardson notes that the falling tourist statistics cannot be overlooked.
“Travel by road into the United States is down by about a third, year-on-year since February,” she says. “Canadians coming to the U.S. by air is down about 20%. Canadians coming through the Pembina Crossing is down 40%.”
The Pembina-Emerson border crossing is situated near the North Dakota boundary with Canada and serves as the primary passage between the U.S. and Winnipeg.
According to Richardson, the reasons are quite straightforward.
“Canadians are deeply disappointed and troubled by the unjustified imposition of tariffs on Canada, particularly those on national security grounds,” she told WCCO. “Tariffs are going to hurt U.S. workers and consumers as well. And then the talk of annexation has been very troubling to Canadians.”
She says the decrease is being felt all across the state, not just along the border. Richardson didn’t have specific numbers, but says border cities are being hurt the most.
As various sizable towns beyond the frontier, including smaller ones such as Fort Frances and International Falls, experience a dual-country way of life with residents frequently crossing over, these areas are witnessing significant changes due to the current shifts in U.S.-Canada dynamics,” says Richardson. “All these locations are feeling the effects of this evolving relationship between both nations.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, an organization representing the travel industry, the 20.4 million travelers from Canada who visited the U.S. last year contributed $20.5 billion in expenditures. This makes Canada the top source of visitors for the U.S., with over half of all international tourists visiting Minnesota coming from this neighboring nation.
In March 2025, there were over 910,000 fewer people crossing the Canadian border into the U.S. at land ports when compared to March 2024—a decrease exceeding 22%, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics. Additionally, an Air Canada representative mentioned that reservations for flights between Canada and the U.S., scheduled from April to September, have declined approximately 10%.
Trump dismissed the drop in tourism to the U.S., stating, “I suppose there’s some nationalism at play here, maybe. But it doesn’t matter much.”