‘I vowed no more’: B.C. residents reveal why they’re avoiding U.S. travel

The number of Canadians travelling to the United States continues to drop, and many B.C. residents share that they don’t plan to return anytime soon.

New data released this week by Statistics Canada revealed a decline in travel between the countries, both by land and air.

In July, the number of Canadian residents’ return trips to the United States dropped 32.4 per cent year over year, while visits to Canada by U.S. residents dipped by three per cent.

The border crossings numbers are similar in British Columbia, where the Whatcom Council of Governments’ 2025 Changes in Border Volume data shows that in August 2025, the volume of southbound vehicles from B.C. to Washington state decreased by 39 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.

You might also like:
• 'Border runners' arrested in B.C. trying to enter Canada illegally
• Winter tires mandatory on most B.C. highways starting next week
• 10 companies hiring for a bunch of Vancouver jobs this October

We asked our readers to contact us if they’ve changed their Washington State travel plans, and the response was overwhelming. Several respondents plan on avoiding the United States for the foreseeable future.

“I vowed no more”

SL* from the Fraser Valley told Daily Hive that they used to make frequent border crossings, but they, along with other Canadians, are choosing to stay home for several reasons.

“Tariffs, aggressive border guards, the exchange rate. The U.S. is no longer a tourist-friendly country,” said SL. “I vowed no more.”

SL stated that they cannot support the United States with tourist dollars and encouraged others to do the same.

“Canadians are outraged and in sheer disbelief,” they added. “The best action is to turn your back and walk away. Canadians must be part of the solution and not become part of the problem.”

“No plans ever to go back there”

Vancouver Island resident CL shared that the hazards of crossing the border make him unsure that they will ever return to the U.S.

“One of the main factors is the unrestricted powers of the border guards,” said CL. “The fact that they can search your phone, lock you up for hours or days without legal representation, is such a violation of rights.

“The vitriolic politics, the use of the courts and federal funding to extract revenge on opponents, the discrediting of health science and research. That’s just scratching the surface of reasons one should avoid travelling to the US.”

CL added that they’re planning to use their tourist dollars in other parts of the world.

“Definitely not going to travel to the U.S., not now and no plans ever to go back there. So it’s hello Europe, New Zealand, Australia, South America, Africa, and elsewhere.”

“Not heading back down this fall”

AS from B.C.’s Southern Interior told Daily Hive they had a winter home in Tucson, Arizona, where they spent the last 26 winters. However, those seasonal border crossings have been cancelled permanently.

“On our street in Tucson, there were six two-person Canadian retiree families who did the same over the years, and we usually headed back to Canada around the end of March,” explained AS. “This past winter, we decided that we were done with the U.S. and put our place up for sale.

“It turns out that we started a trend: one other Canadian neighbour in Tucson is currently listing their place, and two of the towables are back in Canada and not heading back down this fall.”

AS estimates that the local Tucson economy stands to lose a lot from just the four Canadian families cancelling their winter stays.

“A quick tally reveals that with the four families not returning, the mobile home/RV park is going to lose about $40,000 from the lot rents this winter,” they added.

“Their local economy conservatively stands to lose US$1,500 per month per family, so the total estimated losses due to just four families gone for the season out of the Tucson economy looks like US$70,000 or nearly C$100,000.”

Are you avoiding travel to Washington State or the U.S. this year? Let us know in the comments or get in touch at vancouver@dailyhive.com.

*Initials were used to protect identities

Want to stay on top of all things Vancouver? Follow us on X