What’s happened.
Statistics Canada’s September 2026 travel figures, reported by OpenJaw, show American trips to Canada by car and air up 17.2% from a year earlier, reaching 1.8 million. That is the eighth month in a row of growth. Visitors from overseas countries rose 7.3% over the same month last year. In plain terms, the two international groups that fill rooms, lift tickets and tour seats are both growing again.
The other half of the picture matters just as much. Canadians took 6.8% more trips home from the United States in September than a year earlier, the sixth straight monthly increase, so the drift back south is real. But the level is still far below where it was: car trips home from the US were 31.1% lower than September 2024, roughly one in three fewer, and air trips were 18.7% lower. Millions of trips that used to go to American destinations are still being spent somewhere else. Nevada politicians have made the missing Canadians a campaign issue ahead of the November mid-term election, with the state Democratic Party calling the drop a “Trump Slump” and blaming the President’s trade fight with Canada.
What it means for your business.
If you run a Canadian hotel, resort or attraction that has leaned hard on "stay home this year" messaging since 2025, the numbers say keep it — but stop treating it as your only growth plan. Americans are returning in volume and overseas arrivals are growing, while the domestic traveller is slowly starting to look south again. Build your 2027 plan around both: a domestic campaign that keeps giving Canadians a reason to stay, and a US and overseas campaign that converts the arrivals already heading your way.
Next step: Split your 2027 campaign budget into a named domestic line and a named US-inbound line before you lock next year's media buy.
Explore this opportunity for your businessSources & context.
Reported developments are separated from MKTGSpace’s suggested commercial next steps. Reconfirm current conditions before acting.
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