Domestic travel rose in July as trips to the United States fell: StatCan

CANADA Domestic travel rose in July as trips to the United States fell: StatCan By Adriana Fallico Global News Posted August 28, 2026 3:59 pm 1 min read View image in full screen FILE - Travellers wait at the check in for cancelled WestJet flights at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Sunday, August 2, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE Domestic travel increased 3.3 per cent in July from the same month a year prior as trans-border traffic to the U.S. tumbled, new data from Statistics Canada shows. With trans-border screen passenger traffic down by 8.7 per cent in July, the agency notes this number was “well below the same month in 2024,” which was 12.5 per cent. A nearly one per cent decline was observed in July from the same time a year prior, with three of the largest airports noting losses in July 2026 being Vancouver International (-4.5 per cent), Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (-2.0 per cent) and Calgary International (-0.1 per cent). Get daily Ottawa news Get daily Ottawa news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories. SIGN UP FOR DAILY OTTAWA NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. In addition, July 2024’s international screened passenger counts grew 6.2 per cent from July 2023, with trans-border passenger traffic considered by Statistics Canada to be “fully recovered” at the time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Canadians were beginning to travel to the U.S. again following 15 months of consecutive low travel rates due to tensions between the neighbouring countries, with April being the first month in which travel to the U.S. saw an increase since January 2025. MORE ON CANADA MORE VIDEOS Canada Post sees $277M quarterly loss after finalizing new union contract Edmonton-born father back in Canada after 9 months in ICE detention York police search for woman who disappeared from Markham home overnight Manitoba Hydro CEO steps down for personal reasons after 2 years The low travel resulted in Canadian spending on travel to the U.S. going down by $3.3 billion in 2025 amid the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement, with separate Statistics Canada data stating that “Canadians…