Despite the tariff situation being in constant flux of off and on, you cannot go into a grocery store today without noticing the products that are Made-in-Canada. That’s because retailers get it – it’s more than about saving money – it’s about standing up for Canada.
It’s not just in the grocery stores though. Canadians are re-evaluating their upcoming travel plans. Our recent survey found that since President Trump was re-elected, 69% of Canadians say that they are less likely to visit the U.S. for an upcoming leisure trip. This is not just the sentiment of every-day Canadians; 61% of avid US travellers (visited the US at least 4 times in the past four years) say they are less likely to visit the U.S.
Change in likelihood to visit the US for an upcoming trip
Now this may not be news to some folks. Indeed, the National Post published an article last month which cited representatives from Canadian airlines who were actively watching this space, and last week a CBC article featured a story of Canadians who say that they have opted to travel within Canada this summer, despite losing their non-refundable deposits for a vacation in the U.S. This is not about if there is a shift, or even about the size of the opportunity – it’s about why.
We asked Canadians to think about a trip they intend to take this year and whether they would consider travelling within Canada to keep their money in this country. Accounting for those who do not have any intention of taking a leisure trip in the next year (12% of Canadians have no intention of taking a leisure trip), two-thirds say that they would “definitely” consider travelling within Canada. Including those who say that they might consider Canada for their travel this year, the opportunity soars to 87% of potential travellers. Even 80% of avid U.S. travellers are primed to support Canada with their travel spend.
Willingness to consider travelling within Canada to keep money in Canada
According to a recent release by the U.S. Travel Association, if there’s even a 10% reduction in spend from Canadian travellers, it could represent a loss of $2.1 billion. So, with billions of dollars up for grabs, tourism operators, destinations, and travel brands should take note of what’s happening in the consumer packaged goods space. The industry must act quickly to meet the moment with Canadians and ensure that local tourism benefits from this renewed patriotism in the upcoming travel season, as well as setting themselves up for long-term success and returning tourists.
Methodology
Earnscliffe Strategies conducted an online survey of 1,548 Canadians between March 7th and 10th, 2025. The results are weighted by gender, age, and region, based off the most recent Statistics Canada data available. As this study was conducted using an opt-in non-probability panel, no margin of error is possible. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.49 percentage points at a 95% confidence interval.
Earnscliffe follows the CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards and Disclosure Requirements | Data Tables
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