by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 1:58 PM ET, Fri November 13, 2026
Travel from Canada to the U.S. is showing signs of recovery after a prolonged decline.
According to data released by Statistics Canada on November 12, Canadians made approximately 1.9 million return trips from the United States by air and automobile in October, an increase of 3% compared with the same month last year.
As reported by Global News, the numbers suggest some Canadians are beginning to reconsider travel south of the border.
However, the numbers tell a different story when compared with 2024.
Canadian return trips by automobile remained 29% below October 2024 levels, while air travel was down 19.6%.
The latest figures come as the results of the November 3 U.S. midterm elections raise questions about whether a political shift could encourage more Canadians to return.
In a separate report, CBC News spoke with Canadians who have avoided travelling to the United States over concerns about Trump's policies, his comments about Canada and the broader political climate.
While some expressed cautious optimism following the election, others indicated they were not ready to resume visiting the country.
Air Canada and Porter Airlines also told CBC it was too early to determine whether the midterm results would influence travel demand, while Air Transat said it did not yet have sufficient information to identify a trend.
Canadians are still travelling internationally.
Statistics Canada reported approximately one million Canadian return trips by air from overseas countries in October, up 0.5% from a year earlier.
Travel in the opposite direction also increased. U.S. residents made more than 1.5 million trips to Canada in October, an 8.1% increase over the same month in 2025. Automobile arrivals rose 8.7%, while air arrivals increased 6.5%.
The October figures were recorded before the U.S. midterm elections, meaning they cannot be attributed to the results.
And while the incoming Congress could influence the political relationship between the two countries, it will not take office until January. Trump will remain president, and the policies that have contributed to Canadian concerns have not necessarily changed.
For now, the numbers suggest Canadian travel to the U.S. is recovering, but a return to pre-boycott levels remains a long way off.
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