Myrtle Beach and More American Destinations Get Hard Punish from Canadian Tourists

Image generated with Ai

Myrtle Beach and more American destinations are being hard punished by Canadian tourists in 2026, as travel demand shifts away from the US. The latest city data reveals a dramatic tourism shoc

Myrtle Beach and more American destinations are being hit hard as Canadian tourists rethink travel to the United States in 2026. Myrtle Beach has emerged as the most striking example, with Canadian visits falling sharply in the latest city-level research. Meanwhile, Orlando, Miami, New York and Las Vegas are also facing substantial declines. The shift follows a wider deterioration in Canadian-US travel, driven by political tensions, trade disputes, economic concerns and changing traveller sentiment. However, the picture is not entirely negative. Recent data indicate that cross-border travel has started to recover, although volumes remain below previous levels and tourism businesses are still feeling the impact.

Which US Cities Are Canadians Ditching?

The latest city-level research identifies Myrtle Beach, Yuma, Panama City, Brownsville, Orlando, Cape Coral, Miami, Naples, San Francisco, North Port, Palm Bay, Providence, New York, Las Vegas and Flint among the US metropolitan areas experiencing the sharpest Canadian visit declines.

The research, based on anonymised mobile-device data, compared April 2024–March 2025 with April 2025–March 2026 and found a median decline of approximately 42% in Canadian visits across 267 US metropolitan areas. Fifty metropolitan areas reportedly experienced declines of at least 50%, while only three — Portland, Oregon; Gainesville, Florida; and Cleveland, Ohio — recorded increases.

Why Is Canadian Travel to the US Changing?

The change cannot be explained by tourism alone. Political tensions, trade disputes, concerns about US policy, currency conditions and changing consumer sentiment have combined to make some Canadians reconsider American travel, while alternative international destinations have become more attractive.

Statistics Canada provides important context: Canadian-resident return trips from the US fell for 15 consecutive months before growth returned in April and May 2026. In May, Canadian residents made 2.6 million return trips from the US, up 9.9% year on year, but the number remained 24.6% below May 2024.

That means the current story is not simply that Canadian tourism has disappeared from America. Instead, the evidence suggests that the market is recovering from an unusually weak period, while travel behaviour remains materially different from the pre-disruption pattern.

1. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 65.4% Decline

Myrtle Beach recorded the largest decline among the 267 US metropolitan areas examined, with Canadian visits falling 65.4%. The destination has traditionally benefited from Canadian leisure demand, including winter escapes, family holidays, coastal breaks and longer stays.

The size of the decline makes Myrtle Beach one of the clearest examples of how changing Canadian travel preferences can affect destinations heavily dependent on international leisure tourism. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, golf operators and seasonal businesses can all feel the effect when a large overseas visitor segment changes its destination choices.

2. Yuma, Arizona: 62.3% Decline

Yuma recorded a 62.3% decline, placing the Arizona destination second in the ranking. The result is particularly significant because southern Arizona has long attracted seasonal visitors seeking warmer weather during Canada’s colder months.

The decline therefore highlights the pressure facing the traditional snowbird tourism model. For destinations such as Yuma, Canadian visitors can contribute not only to hotels but also to restaurants, retail, recreation and local services during the winter season.

3. Panama City, Florida: 60.3% Decline

Panama City registered a 60.3% decline, making it the third-hardest-hit destination in the study. Florida’s presence throughout the ranking is one of the most striking features of the research.

Panama City and other Florida destinations have built strong leisure markets around sunshine, beaches, seasonal accommodation and longer stays. A major reduction in Canadian travel can therefore have an impact across the wider tourism economy rather than at hotels alone.

4. Brownsville, Texas: 58.5% Decline

Brownsville recorded a 58.5% fall in Canadian visits. Its position demonstrates that the decline extends beyond famous holiday destinations and reaches other US metropolitan areas.

The finding also matters because cross-border travel is broader than traditional tourism. Mobile-location data can capture movements that conventional tourism statistics may not fully describe, giving researchers another way to understand changes in business, trade and visitor mobility.

5. Orlando, Florida: 58.2% Decline

Orlando experienced a 58.2% decline, putting one of the world’s most recognisable family tourism destinations among the hardest-hit US cities.

The implications extend across theme parks, hotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment and transport. Canadian families have historically formed an important international market for Orlando, meaning a substantial reduction in visits can influence the broader destination economy.

6. Cape Coral, Florida: 58.2% Decline

Cape Coral also recorded a 58.2% decline in Canadian visits. Its inclusion reinforces the scale of the impact across Florida rather than suggesting that only one or two individual destinations are struggling.

The destination has traditionally benefited from seasonal and leisure demand, making it particularly relevant to the broader snowbird and warm-weather tourism market.

7. Miami, Florida: 58.1% Decline

Miami recorded a 58.1% decline, putting one of America’s most internationally connected cities firmly within the hardest-hit group.

Miami’s tourism economy is unusually diverse, covering leisure, shopping, business events, cruises, nightlife, beaches and international air travel. Consequently, a reduction in Canadian visitors potentially affects multiple tourism segments at the same time.

8. Naples, Florida: 57.4% Decline

Naples saw Canadian visits fall 57.4%. The city is closely associated with Florida’s seasonal visitor economy, making the decline particularly relevant to the winter travel market.

For tourism businesses, fewer Canadian visitors can translate into weaker demand for accommodation, dining, golf, retail and other services during periods when international seasonal visitors traditionally provide important spending.

9. San Francisco, California: 56.9% Decline

San Francisco experienced a 56.9% decline, showing that the Canadian pullback is not restricted to beach destinations and snowbird markets.

The result is significant because San Francisco combines leisure tourism with technology, business, conferences and international travel. The wider research argues that conventional border data may not capture the full reduction in business and trade-related movement, while also suggesting that Canadians travelling to the US may be visiting fewer places and staying for shorter periods.

10. North Port, Florida: 56.3% Decline

North Port recorded a 56.3% decline, adding another Florida destination to the top ten.

Its position helps demonstrate that the shift is geographically broad. Instead of being concentrated around one major city, weaker Canadian demand is appearing across multiple communities that rely on seasonal and leisure tourism.

11. Palm Bay, Florida: 55.9% Decline

Palm Bay reported a 55.9% decline. The result adds further evidence that the reduction in Canadian travel has affected a wide range of Florida markets.

The tourism implications are especially relevant for destinations where Canadian visitors contribute to accommodation, restaurants, recreation and local retail during the winter and spring seasons.

12. Providence, Rhode Island: 55.6% Decline

Providence recorded a 55.6% decline, demonstrating that the Canadian pullback extends into the northeastern United States.

This matters because Canadian tourism to the northeastern US is not based solely on long-haul holidays. Short breaks, cultural tourism, shopping, events, business travel and regional road trips all contribute to the market.

13. New York, New York: 55.5% Decline

New York recorded a 55.5% decline, an especially important result for the US tourism industry.

New York has traditionally attracted Canadian visitors for Broadway, museums, restaurants, shopping, sporting events and short city breaks. A decline of this scale indicates that changing Canadian sentiment can reach even globally established tourism brands.

14. Las Vegas, Nevada: 55.5% Decline

Las Vegas also recorded a 55.5% decline in Canadian visits.

The destination’s exposure is broad because its tourism economy includes hotels, casinos, entertainment, conventions, restaurants, shopping and events. The decline therefore has implications beyond leisure travellers, particularly where business and convention demand overlaps with international markets.

15. Flint, Michigan: 55.3% Decline

Flint recorded a 55.3% decline, placing Michigan among the states affected by the changing Canadian travel pattern.

Michigan’s proximity to Ontario makes this result particularly notable because cross-border travel has historically been supported by geographic convenience. The decline suggests that proximity alone may no longer guarantee the same level of Canadian movement.

What Does the Wider US Tourism Data Show?

The city-level evidence should be read alongside national statistics because the two datasets measure different aspects of travel. Statistics Canada reported that Canadian return trips from the US increased 9.9% year on year in May 2026, reaching 2.6 million, but the figure was still 24.6% below May 2024.

Automobile travel was responsible for much of the May improvement, rising 17.7% year on year, while air return trips fell 3.2% to 703,700. Cruise-related return trips increased 10.6%, showing that recovery is uneven across travel modes.

This creates an important distinction for tourism businesses. Canadian travel to the US is recovering from its 2025 lows, but the destination mix, trip length, transport choices and city-level demand may have changed substantially.

What Does This Mean for US Travel and Tourism?

The impact could be significant for destinations that historically depended on Canadian visitors as a dependable international market. Tourism boards, hotels, airlines, attractions and destination-management organisations may increasingly need to rebuild confidence among Canadian travellers while simultaneously diversifying into other source markets.

Canada remains a major source of international demand for the United States, so the long-term question is whether the current decline becomes a temporary correction or a deeper change in destination preference. The fact that Canadian residents are travelling more to overseas destinations while US travel weakened during the earlier downturn makes the competitive environment particularly important for American tourism.

“Canadian travellers remain one of the most important and resilient international audiences for the United States, and the latest figures should be viewed not only as a challenge but also as an opportunity for destinations to rebuild trust, strengthen value and reconnect with visitors. The recovery already visible in 2026 shows that travel demand can return when travellers feel confident, welcomed and fairly served. US destinations should therefore focus on hospitality, compelling experiences, competitive packages and stronger destination marketing. Tourism has always demonstrated an ability to adapt to changing circumstances, and this period can encourage cities to diversify their international markets while creating better reasons for Canadian travellers to return.” — Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World

What Happens Next for Canadian Tourism to the US?

The cause is a combination of political tensions, tariffs, economic uncertainty, currency pressures and changing Canadian attitudes towards US travel. The answer is that Myrtle Beach and more American destinations have experienced significant reductions in Canadian visitors, with city-level research showing particularly steep declines across major tourism markets. The reason this matters is that Canadian travellers represent an important international source market for US hotels, attractions, restaurants, retailers and airlines. Myrtle Beach alone reported a 30% decline in Canadian tourism ahead of its 2026 Can-Am Days, while wider research found an even sharper 65.4% decline in Canadian visits across the latest comparison period.

Myrtle Beach and more American destinations are facing a powerful change in Canadian travel behaviour in 2026. Canadian tourists have not stopped travelling, but many are choosing destinations outside the United States, placing pressure on American tourism markets. Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Miami, New York and Las Vegas are among the destinations affected by the broader decline. At the same time, recent evidence suggests that US travel demand from Canada is beginning to stabilise. That offers American destinations an opportunity to rebuild confidence, improve value and strengthen tourism marketing. The future will depend on whether Canadian travellers return or continue shifting towards Canada, Europe and other international destinations.

The next phase will be closely watched because official figures already show signs of recovery. Statistics Canada recorded the second consecutive year-on-year increase in Canadian return trips from the US in May 2026, following 15 consecutive months of annual declines.

However, the comparison with 2024 remains revealing. Canadian return trips from the US in May 2026 were still nearly one-quarter below the May 2024 level, while Canadian air travel to the US remained weaker than road travel.

For the travel and tourism industry, this means recovery should not automatically be interpreted as a return to the old market. Destinations may need to understand what Canadian travellers now value, where they choose to go instead and what would encourage them to return to American cities.

The cause is a combination of political tensions, trade disputes, economic pressure, currency effects and changing Canadian sentiment towards US travel. The answer is that Canadian visits have fallen sharply across numerous American cities, with Myrtle Beach recording the largest decline at 65.4%. The reason the trend matters is its breadth: Florida resorts, major cities, border communities and leisure destinations are all affected. However, the decline is not permanent, because Statistics Canada recorded renewed annual growth in Canadian return trips during April and May 2026. Therefore, US tourism faces a recovery challenge rather than a complete disappearance of Canadian demand, while destinations compete to regain confidence and rebuild visitor volumes.

Canadian tourism to the United States is showing early signs of recovery in 2026, but city-level evidence reveals how deeply the earlier downturn affected individual destinations. Myrtle Beach, Yuma, Panama City, Orlando, Miami, New York and Las Vegas all recorded declines exceeding 55%, highlighting a broad change in travel behaviour. At the national level, May brought a second consecutive year-on-year increase in Canadian return trips, yet volumes remained below 2024 levels. The message for US tourism is therefore clear: recovery cannot simply mean waiting for visitors to return. Destinations must rebuild confidence, offer stronger value, diversify markets and understand evolving Canadian travel priorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which US city lost the most Canadian visitors?

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, recorded the largest decline in the city-level study, with Canadian visits falling 65.4% between the two comparison periods.

Which Florida cities were hit hardest?

Panama City, Orlando, Cape Coral, Miami, Naples and North Port all appeared among the 10 hardest-hit metropolitan areas, with declines ranging from 56.3% to 60.3%.

Are Canadians still travelling to the US in 2026?

Yes. Canadian return trips from the US increased 9.9% year on year in May 2026 to 2.6 million, marking the second consecutive month of annual growth, although volumes remained below May 2024.

Is Canadian tourism to America recovering?

There are clear signs of recovery, particularly in automobile travel, but the market has not returned to its earlier level. May 2026 US return trips remained 24.6% below May 2024.

How was the city-level decline measured?

The city-level research used anonymised mobile-device location data from Canadian devices and compared visits between April 2024–March 2025 and April 2025–March 2026. The research covered 267 US metropolitan areas.