Updated July 26, 2026. Statistics Canada released its May cross-border travel figures on July 23. These are preliminary monthly estimates, and comparisons across periods need care.
The numbers look stronger than they did a year ago, but a year-over-year rebound is not the same as a complete return to the old travel pattern. The useful questions are who moved, how they travelled and how the comparison base shapes the result.
Canadian residents made 2.6 million return trips from the United States in May, up 9.9% from May 2025 and the second consecutive year-over-year increase. U.S. residents made 2.2 million trips to Canada, up 13.0% and the fourth consecutive increase. Statistics Canada cautions that the Canadian rebound was boosted by a low base a year earlier, so this is better read as a short-term turn than proof of a completed structural reversal.
| May flow | Volume and annual change | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Canadians returning from the U.S. | 2.6 million, up 9.9% | A second annual increase, helped by last year’s low base. |
| U.S. residents entering Canada | 2.2 million, up 13.0% | A fourth annual increase, with road travel still dominant. |
| Overseas residents entering Canada | 665,300, up 6.2% | Europe and the Americas excluding the U.S. rose, while Asia fell 4.5%. |
Mode of travel matters. Canadian automobile returns rose 17.7% to 1.8 million, and 65.5% were same-day trips; air returns fell 3.2% to 703,700. U.S. automobile arrivals rose 13.6% to 1.3 million, with 52.6% same-day, while air arrivals rose 6.0% to 510,000. Much of the rebound therefore reflects road and short-duration movement rather than a uniform lift in long-haul holidays or aviation.
Overseas arrivals reached 665,300, up 6.2%. Trips from Europe rose 12.3% and the Americas excluding the U.S. rose 12.1%, while Asia fell 4.5%. The United Kingdom, India and France together accounted for 30.2% of overseas arrivals. “International growth” still needs to be separated by source market.
Seasonally adjusted month-over-month figures were also positive, but they answer a different question: Canadian trips abroad rose 1.0% from April, U.S. arrivals rose 6.9%, and overseas arrivals rose 4.3%. Annual comparisons show how May differed from a year ago; adjusted monthly comparisons show the immediate direction.
The longer 2025 picture remains important. A separate Statistics Canada analysis found that Canadian travel to the U.S. fell by 7.1 million visits from 2024, nearly offset by 5.0 million more domestic visits and 1.3 million more overseas visits. Leisure trips to the U.S. fell 21.5%, overseas leisure trips rose 12.2%, and spending in the U.S. fell by $3.3 billion to $18.8 billion. May’s rebound sits inside that larger reallocation of destinations and spending.
For planning, treat one month as a signal rather than a verdict. Compare destinations with our Canada travel map, match timing to the four-season Canada guide, and use the Canada–U.S. accommodation tax guide when a trip crosses the border. Your itinerary, costs and entry requirements should drive the decision.
There is also a methodology caveat. Statistics Canada integrated new CBSA air-traveller data in 2025 and advises caution when comparing air figures with years before 2025. The May release is an advance estimate; the fuller June release is scheduled for August 20.
The official May release supplies the latest counts and methodology, the 2025 travel-pattern analysis adds the structural shift in visits and spending, and Global News provides current public context. All key Canadian claims were checked against Statistics Canada. This news article contains no affiliate links.
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