Snowbirds skip Arizona as Canadian tourism tumbles 22%

While international tourism to Arizona ticked up in 2025, a sharp drop in Canadian visitors is weighing on one of the state’s most reliable travel markets, according to new data from the Arizona Office of Tourism.

Arizona drew nearly 5.5 million international travelers last year, up 1.2% from 2024, according to figures cited by the Arizona Republic. But Canadian visitation fell 22% over the same period, a drop tourism leaders say is largely tied to economic pressures in Canada.

“Canada has a weak dollar right now, and so everything’s more expensive, from flights to housing to cost of living,” Mike Huckins with the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News. “If there’s one issue that you can sort of point to, I believe that’s the main one right now, just the cost of travel.”

Huckins said political friction between Washington and Ottawa earlier in the Trump administration also played a role in deterring some Canadian travelers, though he described it as a secondary factor.

“With some of the rhetoric that’s going back and forth between the U.S. and Canada, at least in the early times of the administration, I think that did play a part,” he said. “When folks are looking to spend their hard-earned dollars on a trip, that definitely takes into account some of those things.”

About 664,000 Canadians visited Arizona in 2025 — roughly 188,000 fewer than the year before — according to preliminary state tourism data reported by The Arizona Republic. Several Canadian airlines have reportedly reduced service to U.S. destinations and expanded flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, where demand from Canadian travelers has grown.

Fewer Canadians are coming to the U.S.

Arizona is not alone in getting the snowbird cold shoulder.

New research shows visits by Canadians to major U.S. cities have dropped 42% during President Donald Trump’s second term in office.

The slump comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that his country’s once-strong economic ties to the U.S. have become a weakness that must be corrected.

He points to tariffs on Canadian goods and repeated suggestions that Canada become the 51st state.

Arizona is still a destination for international travelers

Despite the Canadian decline, Arizona’s broader international tourism picture remains strong. The state ranks fifth in the nation for international visitation, trailing only California, New York, Florida and Texas, according to Tourism Economics.

Huckins credited new international air service at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for helping offset the loss of Canadian travelers.

“Sky Harbor and the team over there have done a great job of bringing in additional flights,” he said, pointing to new routes to Taiwan, China and France.

“International travel is picking up in Arizona. There’s still some work to do to make it to where we’re a powerhouse, but it’s great year-over-year news on overall travel.”

State tourism officials told The Arizona Republic they do not expect Canadian visitation to fully rebound until 2029.

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