"A new research tool that tracks cell phone activity has found a 42% drop in visitors from Canada to big metropolitan areas in the US that is much higher than official border-crossing data, suggesting Canadians during the second Trump administration are avoiding US cities in particular."
"Researchers from the University of Toronto said the tool showed a year-over-year median decline of approximately 42% in Canadian visits to US metropolitan areas significantly higher than official border-crossing data, which showed a roughly 25% decline. The economies of US border towns reliant on Canadian traffic have been slammed as their northerly neighbours think twice about travelling to the US, put off by immigration enforcement operations and border crackdowns, and anger at Donald Trump's tariffs and his threats of making Canada the 51st state."
"But the researchers said that their data also showed steep declines in Canadian visitors to cities, in states such as New York, New Hampshire and Vermont. It also found declines to major tourist destinations such as Las Vegas and Walt Disney World, and to winter recreation areas, including in Florida typically a central destination for overwintering Canadians."
"The researchers analyzed Canadian devices travelling to US metro areas between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2026. As potential explanations of why the 42% figure is so much higher than border crossing estimates, they noted that cell phone data also captured freight traffic, which border crossings do not, and could also track changes in Canadians previously living in the US who left."
A cell-phone activity tracking tool found a 42% drop in Canadian visitors to major US metropolitan areas, which is higher than official border-crossing data showing about a 25% decline. The larger decline suggests Canadians during the second Trump administration are avoiding US cities, harming economies in border towns that rely on Canadian traffic. The declines also appear in New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and extend to tourist and recreation destinations including Las Vegas, Walt Disney World, and winter areas such as Florida. The researchers analyzed Canadian devices traveling to US metro areas from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026. They suggested the tool may capture freight traffic and movements of Canadians who previously lived in the US and returned to Canada.
#canada-us-travel #cell-phone-mobility-data #border-enforcement #tourism-and-recreation #economic-impact
Read at www.theguardian.com
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