Poll: 33% of Canadians Would Think Less of Family or Friends if They Travelled to U.S.
Posted on: January 20, 2026, 06:47h.
Last updated on: January 20, 2026, 06:47h.
- Poll says one-third of those surveyed would think less of family and friends that travel to U.S.
- Las Vegas continues to be hit hard by decrease in Canadian travel to U.S.
Poll after poll has shed light on how fewer Canadians are travelling to the U.S., including to markets like Las Vegas, but a new Abacus poll shows that a significant minority of those surveyed (33%) would think less of close friends or family members who travelled there.
According to the poll, then, travel choices are now becoming moralized – something that signals values and identity. Younger Canadians are the most judgemental – nearly half of those aged 18 to 29 say they would think less of someone close to them for vacationing in the U.S. That drops among those aged 30 to 44 and falls further among those 45-59.
According to Statistics Canada, Canadian return trips from the U.S. tanked 26.3% in October compared to one year earlier. Canadians returned from 2.3 million trips by both air and automobile.
Younger Canadians are the Most Judgemental
The Abacus poll was conducted between Jan 9-14, surveying 1,850 Canadian adults across the country.
And today, the state of U.S.-Canadians relations took a turn for the worse, with U.S. President Donald Trump posting an image during a meeting in the Oval Office on his Truth Social account of a map of North America with the Canadian territory covered by an American flag.
Social media all day across Canada was a drum beat of commentary about an “existential crisis”, with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney giving a speech at the World Economic Forum at Davos about a new world order. Canada’s national newspaper, the Globe and Mail, ran a front-page story that detailed a scenario where the U.S. invaded Canada, and how they would play out.
Canadians Anger at U.S. Ratchets Up
If there’s already a boycott of U.S. travel by some Canadians, it’s a good bet that it was ratcheted up today.
Canadian travel agencies at ground level are already seeing it, especially over the past few days.
“Sentiment has indeed kicked up a few notches over the last few days with continued White House comments that appear to challenge Canadian sovereignty,” said Christopher Whyte, with Freestone Travel, just east of Toronto. “Travel inquiries to the U.S. continue to decline. All of my business at the moment is focused on other areas, such as Europe and the Caribbean. I have not had any U.S. travel inquiries for months and have made no U.S. bookings.”
Las Vegas Sees Big Declines
Las Vegas has been taking a direct hit. In November, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported the Strip showed a 7.2% decline in visitors (35.5 million, down 2.8 million) compared to the same period in 2024. There was a massive decline in air traffic to Harry Reid International Airport in November – 450,000 fewer passengers in November compared to the previous year, a 9.6% drop.
The big collapse came from Canada, typically one of Las Vegas’ most reliable feeders. Air Canada saw a 40% year-over-year drop in November, with Porter Airlines down 33.9%, WestJet 29.7% and Flair Airlines down 87%.
As Whyte added, he has been noticing the U.S. travel industry has “significantly increased” Canadian advertising, especially from Las Vegas, Florida, Arizona and California, but it’s too soon to assess any impact.
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