Canadians are increasingly choosing domestic destinations over trips to the United States, fueling a strong surge in homegrown tourism. New travel data, as quoted by CTVNews.ca citing Environics Analytics, shows that travel by residents rose by 6.9 million trips year over year in the third quarter of 2025, highlighting a clear shift in travel preferences. According to Environics Analytics, a Toronto-based marketing and analytics firm owned by Bell Canada, Canada’s domestic travel surge is being driven by multicultural suburban families.
“Canadians are exploring Canada more, and if you look at the numbers, it’s pretty much across the board,” Environics chief client officer Rupen Seoni said as quoted by CTVNews.ca.
As tensions between Canada and the United States persist over matters such as trade and sovereignty, many Canadians are opting to travel elsewhere. Higher costs and a renewed interest in local experiences can be seen as major drivers of the shift.
According to CTVNews.ca, Environics data reveals a recent spike in domestic travel across Canada. The only regions to see a decline in domestic tourism were the three territories - Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut - along with Newfoundland and Labrador. Seoni suggests that the drop may be linked to higher travel costs in these areas.
By percentage, the strongest growth in the third quarter of 2025 occurred in Prince Edward Island (13.1%), Ontario (12%), New Brunswick (11.4%), and Saskatchewan (11.3%). In terms of visitor numbers, the largest increases were recorded in Ontario (3.6 million), Quebec (1.6 million), and Alberta (697,000).
“For the most part, just about every province in Q2 and Q3 of last year saw jumps in domestic tourism, so it’s remarkable,” Seoni was quoted as saying by CTVNews.ca. “Canadians are exploring at home much more and it’s kind of all over.”
According to CTVNews.ca, Environics data from the third quarter of 2025 shows a similar trend. Trips by Canadians to the US fell sharply by nearly 3.5 million, a decline of 31% compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, visits to Canada by Americans saw a slight decrease of 43,000, representing a roughly 1% drop.
As Canadians continue to avoid traveling to the US, they are taking more trips overseas. According to CTVNews.ca, Statistics Canada reports that in November, Canadian residents made 1.1 million round-trip flights from international destinations, up 14.1% from the previous year.
Data from the second quarter of 2025 shows the most popular overseas destinations for Canadians were Mexico (471,000 visits), France (319,000), and the United Kingdom (279,000), reported CTVNews.ca. Compared with the same period in 2024, the countries with the biggest increases in Canadian visitors were Japan (up 88%), Spain (70.5%), and France (49.1%).
“Canadians are exploring Canada more, and if you look at the numbers, it’s pretty much across the board,” Environics chief client officer Rupen Seoni said as quoted by CTVNews.ca.
As tensions between Canada and the United States persist over matters such as trade and sovereignty, many Canadians are opting to travel elsewhere. Higher costs and a renewed interest in local experiences can be seen as major drivers of the shift.
According to CTVNews.ca, Environics data reveals a recent spike in domestic travel across Canada. The only regions to see a decline in domestic tourism were the three territories - Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut - along with Newfoundland and Labrador. Seoni suggests that the drop may be linked to higher travel costs in these areas.
By percentage, the strongest growth in the third quarter of 2025 occurred in Prince Edward Island (13.1%), Ontario (12%), New Brunswick (11.4%), and Saskatchewan (11.3%). In terms of visitor numbers, the largest increases were recorded in Ontario (3.6 million), Quebec (1.6 million), and Alberta (697,000).
“For the most part, just about every province in Q2 and Q3 of last year saw jumps in domestic tourism, so it’s remarkable,” Seoni was quoted as saying by CTVNews.ca. “Canadians are exploring at home much more and it’s kind of all over.”
According to CTVNews.ca, Environics data from the third quarter of 2025 shows a similar trend. Trips by Canadians to the US fell sharply by nearly 3.5 million, a decline of 31% compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, visits to Canada by Americans saw a slight decrease of 43,000, representing a roughly 1% drop.
As Canadians continue to avoid traveling to the US, they are taking more trips overseas. According to CTVNews.ca, Statistics Canada reports that in November, Canadian residents made 1.1 million round-trip flights from international destinations, up 14.1% from the previous year.
Data from the second quarter of 2025 shows the most popular overseas destinations for Canadians were Mexico (471,000 visits), France (319,000), and the United Kingdom (279,000), reported CTVNews.ca. Compared with the same period in 2024, the countries with the biggest increases in Canadian visitors were Japan (up 88%), Spain (70.5%), and France (49.1%).
