Courting the Canadian Traveller

US destinations are competing harder than ever for Canadian travellers. New York State’s fall trade newsletter, sent to Canadian advisors this week, promotes scenic drives, boutique stays in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, and a set of discounts available only to Canadians under the name NY LOVES CANADA. The pitch is aimed at a market that is coming back slowly and is still well below its 2024 level.

For Canadian advisors, this creates an opening. US suppliers need Canadian bookings and are offering incentives to get them. Clients who stopped crossing the border in 2025 can now go back on better terms than they had before.

The numbers behind the push

Statistics Canada began tracking a sharp drop in 2025. In May 2025, same-day car trips by Canadian residents back from the US were down 40.3% from a year earlier. Overnight car trips were down 34.3%, and air trips 24.2%. The agency said this was the first run of steep year-over-year declines since COVID-19 restrictions in early 2021. It linked the timing to “policy changes toward Canada implemented by the United States.”

According to Axios, Canadian visits to the US fell 20% from January to October 2025. Axios cited the threats to annex Canada, the tariffs, and a new registration requirement for stays longer than 30 days as reasons Canadians stayed home. Canadians made 20.4 million visits to the US in 2024 and spent $20.5 billion there, Axios reported.

The recovery has started but is still modest. In August 2026, Canadian residents made 2.6 million return trips from the US, up 8.8% from August 2025, according to Statistics Canada. It was the fifth month in a row of year-over-year growth. Measured against August 2024, though, car trips were still 27.4% lower and air trips 22.7% lower. Some of that travel has moved elsewhere. Overseas trips came in at 1.2 million in August and fell year over year for the third month in a row.

New York was hit hard. In its 21 August announcement of the program, the state’s economic development agency said Canadian travel to New York fell 26% in 2025 and Canadian spending fell 28% compared with 2024. Total visitation to the state still grew 1.1% to 321 million.

Why states are marketing directly to Canadians

New York is one of several states with a campaign aimed at Canada. Axios reports that California launched a “California Loves Canada” campaign in April 2025, with Expedia offering discounts of up to 25% on hotels and attractions. Visit Florida has promoted sports packages to Canadian travellers. North Dakota and Iowa have released new materials for the Canadian market.

The figures above explain why. “New York loves Canada, despite whatever headwinds may challenge our fellowship,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in the August announcement. “This new program is our invitation to Canadian travelers.”

According to the state, NY LOVES CANADA offers discounts on lodging, dining, attractions and outdoor activities through August and September, and some offers run to December. The state’s announcement did not list participating businesses or discount levels, so advisors should check each offer before quoting it. New York City Tourism runs a separate “Northern Neighbour Deal.”

What New York is selling

The newsletter is designed for clients who drive. It promotes three scenic byways: the Upper Delaware along the river through the Catskills, the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway toward the Adirondack High Peaks and Lake Placid, and the Cayuga Lake route through Finger Lakes wine country.

For the upper end of the market, it recommends the town of Hudson for boutique stays and Deer Valley Trails for a mountain retreat in the Catskills. The 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton is listed for a waterfront stay. Other activities include gondola and chairlift rides at Whiteface, Gore and Hunter mountains, Balloons Over Letchworth above the gorge at Letchworth State Park, Hudson River foliage cruises, Lake George, and cider and harvest stops in the Hudson Valley and around Seneca and Cayuga lakes.

None of this is new. The difference is that suppliers are now ready to offer discounts to Canadians.

For advisors

• Pitch to: clients who drive from Ontario and Quebec and skipped the US in 2025. Present this as a short fall or early-winter trip rather than a big decision about returning to the US.
• Book: Clayton and the Thousand Islands for clients in eastern Ontario, and the Hudson Valley or Catskills combined with a Finger Lakes wine weekend for longer stays. Confirm which NY LOVES CANADA offers apply before quoting, because the state has not published discount levels.
• Ask for more: with US demand from Canada still well below 2024, ask suppliers for added value such as upgrades, dining credits or flexible cancellation, not only the published offer.
• Watch: Statistics Canada’s monthly leading-indicator release to see whether the recovery reaches 2024 levels, and any US entry rule changes that affect Canadians.

Sources

• New York State Department of Economic Development (I LOVE NY), September trade newsletter via Reach Global, 1 Oct 2026
• https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/260911/dq260911b-eng.htm
• https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2025006/article/00006-eng.htm
• https://esd.ny.gov/esd-media-center/press-releases/governor-hochul-extends-invitation-canadian-travelers-visit-new
• https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/us-trump-travel-canada-economy-tourism