The ‘Trump Slump’ in overseas travel to the U.S. has hit a major Canadian airline, which is dropping 16 routes, and dropping 10 U.S. destinations.
WestJet says the move comes because “We saw a notable decline in transborder travel demand throughout 2025,”according to WestJet spokesperson Julia Kaiser. “As a result, we made timely decisions to modify our network to stay aligned with where Canadians want to go, reducing our full year transborder flying by close to 10 per cent, with a 15 per cent reduction in what were historically peak travel times for the U.S.”
WestJet’s observation matches an overall drop in visitor traffic to the U.S. from Europe as well, with many travelers either concerned about possible issues with U.S. authorities or concerned about events in general. Since a sizable portion of this year’s travel was planned earlier, it is possible that the dropoff will be sharper in the year ahead.
WestJet’s cuts are ending flights to Boston, Nashville, San Diego, San Francisco, Tampa, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Orlando, Seattle and Los Angeles. The canceled routes served Canadian travelers from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Toronto. The airline isn’t crying for business, it says “Demand for domestic, Latin American, Caribbean, trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific destinations remains strong,”
More evidence of Canadian travelers’ shift from their usual destinations (from USA Today, 2/12)
Christine Fiorelli, owner of Canadian travel agency Fairytale Dreams & Destinations, said she’s seen a 30% shift in clients who normally book a U.S. Disney vacation, as they are now turning to places like Disneyland Paris.
“Many travelers are still eager for that magical Disney experience but prefer to avoid supporting U.S.-based parks at this time,” said Fiorelli, “It still holds a place in their heart, but not now.”