A significant decline in Canadian travelers heading to the U.S. has impacted airlines that rely on popular routes such as Florida and Disneyland. To cope, airlines like WestJet and Air Canada are reducing their U.S. flight capacities and shifting focus toward stronger markets, including Europe and domestic routes. Reports indicate a nearly 20% drop in summer bookings to the U.S. from Canada, while bookings for Canadian destinations have risen by 11%. Factors like political climates and currency exchange rates are contributing to this shift.
"The current political environment and differences in currency exchange rates are likely contributing to the shift in demand," said WestJet spokesperson Josh Yeats.
It's unusual to see such a significant dip in demand for Canada-U.S. travel, said Mike Arnot, a spokesperson for airline analytics firm Cirium.
Cirium found that summer bookings between major Canadian cities and popular U.S. destinations are down nearly 20 per cent compared to last year.
While airlines frequently tweak their schedules, it's a tough place for the airlines to be, said Arnot.
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