Myrtle Beach Aligns with Yuma, Panama City and Other US Destinations Empty with Canadian Tourists, Resulting Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat Flight Cut

Myrtle Beach, Yuma, Panama City and other US destinations are seeing fewer Canadian tourists, while Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat respond with flight cuts. Myrtle Beach, Yuma and Panama City are among the US destinations confronting a striking drop in Canadian tourists, while Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat adjust their flight networks.

As Canadian travel to the United States weakens, these destinations are feeling the pressure across hotels, attractions, restaurants and seasonal businesses. Meanwhile, airlines are responding by cutting or reallocating US-bound capacity. The shift also reaches other major destinations, including Orlando, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York. However, the pattern is not uniform. Instead, Canadian travellers are increasingly considering domestic and overseas alternatives, creating a major challenge for US tourism and aviation.

Canadian travel to the United States has undergone a dramatic shift since 2024, with several destinations that traditionally relied heavily on Canadian visitors reporting substantial declines. Florida, Arizona, Nevada, California, New York, South Carolina and Hawaii have all recorded notable weakness in Canadian tourism, although the scale differs by destination and measurement method.

The change is significant for the US travel industry because Canadians have historically represented one of its largest international visitor markets. Statistics Canada reported that Canadian residents made about 39 million return trips from the US in 2024, before travel declined sharply in 2025.

The latest evidence indicates that the reduction has continued into 2026 in several markets. However, the figures must be interpreted carefully because official statistics measure trips or visitors, while newer metropolitan analyses based on mobile-location data measure changes in observed Canadian presence.

Why Are US Destinations Losing Canadian Visitors?

The scale of the change became clear in 2025, when Canadian residents made 23.1 million trips involving a visit to the United States, down 23.5% from 2024, according to Statistics Canada.

The decline has continued into 2026. In the first quarter, Canadian residents made 5.5 million trips involving a US visit, down 10.6% from the same period in 2025. At the same time, overseas travel increased, showing that weaker US demand does not necessarily mean Canadians have stopped travelling internationally.

The destination-level picture is even more striking.

Orlando, Florida: Canadian Demand Falls Sharply

Orlando has long been one of the most important US destinations for Canadian families, leisure travellers and holidaymakers visiting theme parks and resorts. Yet a University of Toronto School of Cities-based analysis found Canadian visits to the Orlando metropolitan area declined 58.2% when April 2025–March 2026 was compared with April 2024–March 2025.

The figure comes from mobile-location analysis and therefore should not be treated as an official visitor-arrivals statistic. Nevertheless, it highlights the scale of the observed change in one of America’s most internationally recognised leisure markets. Orlando’s exposure is particularly important because Canadian families traditionally contribute to hotels, theme parks, restaurants, attractions, shopping centres and local transport.

Miami, Florida: One Of Florida’s Biggest Markets Under Pressure

Miami has also experienced a substantial decline in Canadian visits. The same metropolitan analysis recorded a 58.1% fall in Canadian visits between April 2025–March 2026 and the preceding 12-month period.

Miami is particularly significant because Canadian travellers use the city for several purposes, including leisure holidays, cruises, beach tourism, shopping and onward travel through South Florida. The weakness therefore potentially affects multiple tourism businesses rather than a single attraction category.

Florida’s official statistics require additional context. VISIT FLORIDA revised its 2025 estimate of Canadian visitors to approximately 3.17 million, after identifying an undercount associated partly with border and travel-data issues.

Cape Coral And Naples: Snowbird Markets Feel The Pressure

Southwest Florida has traditionally attracted Canadian snowbirds seeking warmer weather during the winter months. Cape Coral recorded a 58.2% decline in Canadian visits in the mobile-location analysis, while Naples registered a 57.4% decrease.

These markets are important because Canadian tourism is not limited to short city breaks. Snowbirds can stay for weeks or months, supporting accommodation providers, restaurants, golf courses, retail businesses and recreational operators.

A reduction in long-stay visitors can therefore have a disproportionate economic effect compared with a similar decline in short-haul weekend travel. The figures nevertheless represent mobile-location observations rather than a conventional count of registered visitors, making direct comparisons with official state arrivals inappropriate.

Panama City, Florida: Canadian Visits Drop 60.3%

Panama City recorded one of the sharpest declines in the metropolitan analysis, with Canadian visits falling 60.3% in the April 2025–March 2026 period compared with the previous 12 months.

The destination’s position on Florida’s Gulf Coast gives it a different tourism profile from Miami and Orlando, with beach holidays playing an important role. A decline of this magnitude illustrates how the reduction in Canadian demand extends beyond the state’s largest international tourism centres.

The result is also relevant to smaller and regional destinations because their tourism economies can be more sensitive to changes in individual international markets. Canadian visitors can support accommodation, dining, attractions and seasonal businesses across coastal communities.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: A 65.4% Canadian Visitor Decline

Myrtle Beach recorded the largest decline among the destinations highlighted in the mobile-location study, with Canadian visits falling 65.4% between April 2025–March 2026 and the previous 12-month period.

The South Carolina resort is heavily associated with beach holidays, family travel, golf and seasonal tourism. Its Canadian market therefore overlaps with several categories affected by the broader reduction in US leisure travel from Canada.

The size of the decline does not mean that 65.4% fewer officially recorded Canadian tourists entered Myrtle Beach. Instead, it indicates the change in observed Canadian visits in the underlying mobile-location dataset. That distinction is essential when using the figure in travel-industry reporting.

Las Vegas, Nevada: Canadian Visitation Falls 17.4%

Las Vegas provides a useful example of why different datasets can produce different percentages. According to figures reported by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Canadian visitation fell from approximately 1.449 million in 2024 to 1.196 million in 2025, a decline of 17.4%.

Las Vegas depends on international visitors for hotels, casinos, restaurants, entertainment, conventions and attractions, making the Canadian market commercially important.

The mobile-location dataset shows a much larger 55.5% decline for the wider Las Vegas metropolitan area in its April-to-March comparison. These numbers should not be presented as contradictory: they cover different periods and use different methodologies.

San Francisco, California: Canadian Travel Drops 56.9%

San Francisco has also seen a significant reduction in Canadian visits. The metropolitan analysis recorded a 56.9% decline between April 2025–March 2026 and the preceding 12-month period.

California remains one of the most important US destinations for Canadian travellers. Visit California reported that Canadian visitation to the state declined 20.1% in 2025, although Canada remained California’s second-largest international visitor market, with approximately 1.4 million visits.

The contrast between the statewide figure and San Francisco’s metropolitan estimate again demonstrates why destination-level reporting requires methodological clarity. A statewide visitor count and a city-level mobile-presence measure are measuring different aspects of travel demand.

New York City And New York State Face A Major Canadian Pullback

New York has traditionally benefited from its proximity to Canada as well as its appeal as a major international city. The metropolitan analysis recorded a 55.5% decline in Canadian visits to New York City in its April 2025–March 2026 comparison.

Separately, the New York State Comptroller reported that Canadian travellers crossing into New York fell by almost 3.6 million in 2025, representing a 21.2% decline.

The state-level data are especially important because Canadian visitors contribute not only to New York City but also to border communities, shopping destinations, accommodation businesses and attractions across the state.

Arizona: Canadian Snowbirds Retreat From A Major Winter Destination

Arizona is another market closely linked with Canadian winter tourism. Preliminary state tourism data indicated that approximately 664,000 Canadians visited Arizona in 2025, around 188,000 fewer than in 2024, representing a decline of approximately 22%.

Yuma was particularly affected in the metropolitan mobile-location analysis, with Canadian visits down 62.3%.

Arizona’s exposure is significant because Canadian snowbirds often spend extended periods in the state. Their spending can reach accommodation, restaurants, golf, retail, attractions and other services over several weeks or months.

The decline therefore matters beyond conventional hotel occupancy. It can affect the broader seasonal economy in communities that have developed tourism and hospitality services around winter visitors from Canada.

Hawaii: Canadian Travel Weakens, But The Decline Is Smaller

Hawaii has also experienced a measurable decline in Canadian tourism, although its fall is considerably smaller than the steepest metropolitan declines.

According to Hawaii Tourism Authority data, Hawaii received 394,345 Canadian visitors in 2025, compared with 445,984 in 2024, representing an 11.6% decline. Canadian visitor spending fell 8.7% to approximately $996.7 million.

The weakness continued into 2026. During the first seven months of the year, Hawaii recorded 228,866 Canadian visitors, down 6.7% from the corresponding period of 2025.

For Hawaii, the Canadian market remains commercially important because visitors support hotels, restaurants, tours, attractions, transportation and other tourism services across the islands.

What Does The Canadian Travel Shift Mean For US Tourism?

The destination-level evidence suggests that the US tourism industry is facing a selective Canadian demand shock, rather than an identical decline across every market.

Florida’s leisure and snowbird destinations appear particularly exposed, while Las Vegas, California, New York and Hawaii have also recorded measurable weakness. At the same time, the scale differs substantially depending on whether the measurement covers official visitor arrivals, border crossings, trips or mobile-location activity.

The broader trend is clear. Statistics Canada shows that Canadians significantly reduced travel to the United States after the strong 2024 baseline, while overseas travel has become comparatively more resilient.

For US destinations, the challenge is therefore not simply recovering Canadian visitors. It is understanding where Canadian demand has moved, which traveller segments have changed their behaviour, and whether short-term weakness becomes a longer-term shift in international travel patterns.

Canadian travel to the United States has undergone a dramatic shift since 2024, with several destinations that traditionally relied heavily on Canadian visitors reporting substantial declines. Florida, Arizona, Nevada, California, New York, South Carolina and Hawaii have all recorded notable weakness in Canadian tourism, although the scale differs by destination and measurement method.

The change is significant for the US travel industry because Canadians have historically represented one of its largest international visitor markets. Statistics Canada reported that Canadian residents made about 39 million return trips from the US in 2024, before travel declined sharply in 2025.

The latest evidence indicates that the reduction has continued into 2026 in several markets. However, the figures must be interpreted carefully because official statistics measure trips or visitors, while newer metropolitan analyses based on mobile-location data measure changes in observed Canadian presence.

Why Are US Destinations Losing Canadian Visitors?

The scale of the change became clear in 2025, when Canadian residents made 23.1 million trips involving a visit to the United States, down 23.5% from 2024, according to Statistics Canada.

The decline has continued into 2026. In the first quarter, Canadian residents made 5.5 million trips involving a US visit, down 10.6% from the same period in 2025. At the same time, overseas travel increased, showing that weaker US demand does not necessarily mean Canadians have stopped travelling internationally.

The destination-level picture is even more striking.

Canadian travel to the United States has remained significantly below its 2024 level, with 2025 marking a sharp downturn and 2026 showing continued weakness. Official Canadian data now reveal a growing divergence between US travel and journeys to overseas destinations.

Why Did Canadian Travel To The US Fall After 2024?

The 2024 Canadian travel baseline was exceptionally strong, with Canadian residents making about 39 million return trips from the United States, accounting for roughly three-quarters of all Canadian-resident return trips from abroad.

That high level subsequently reversed sharply. In 2025, Canadians made 23.1 million trips involving a visit to the US, representing a 23.5% decline from 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Spending on those US trips also fell 15.1% to C$18.8 billion.

What Happened To Canadian US Travel In 2025?

The decline was particularly visible in land crossings, traditionally the backbone of Canada-US travel. According to the Bank of Canada, Canadians made almost 10 million fewer trips to the United States in 2025 than in 2024, including approximately 8.4 million fewer land trips and 1.2 million fewer air trips.

Statistics Canada reported that return crossings from the US declined for 11 consecutive months in 2025, highlighting the persistence of the downturn rather than a short-lived monthly fluctuation.

Is US Travel Recovering In 2026?

The 2026 data show that the recovery remains incomplete. During the first quarter of 2026, Canadian residents made 5.5 million trips involving a US visit, down 10.6% from Q1 2025, while spending declined 13.6% to C$5.0 billion.

By comparison, Canadians made 4.6 million trips to overseas destinations, an increase of 6.2% year on year, while overseas travel spending increased 16.7%.

What Do The Latest Airport Figures Show?

The latest Statistics Canada airport data show transborder passenger traffic at Canada’s eight largest airports remained under pressure in July 2026.

Traffic was 0.9% below July 2025 and 8.7% below July 2024, meaning the two-year comparison remains considerably weaker than the annual change.

What Does This Mean For Canadian Airlines?

The data point to a changing international travel pattern rather than a universal collapse in Canadian air demand. US-bound travel remains below its 2024 level, while overseas travel has demonstrated stronger growth.

For airlines such as Air Canada, the distinction is significant because the weakness in US leisure demand exists alongside resilient domestic, corporate and long-haul international segments. The evolving travel pattern could therefore influence route capacity, yields and pricing decisions through the remainder of 2026.

Canadian airline demand is sending mixed signals in 2026, with domestic airport traffic and corporate travel remaining resilient while transborder travel to the United States continues to weaken. New data from RBC Capital Markets highlights a widening divide between strong overall Canadian air traffic and softer demand for US-bound journeys.

Why Is Canadian Travel Demand Showing Mixed Signals?

Canadian transborder air travel to the United States was 27% lower in July 2026 than in July 2024, according to RBC Capital Markets. In contrast, Canadian return trips from overseas destinations excluding the US were 4% higher over the same two-year period, indicating that international travel beyond the United States is holding up comparatively well.

RBC also pointed to worsening social-media sentiment surrounding Canadian travel to the US. Negative sentiment increased to 57% in September from 50% in August, a development the bank said could signal additional weakness in US-bound passenger volumes.

Is Canadian Airport Traffic Still Growing?

Despite the weakness in US travel, Canadian airport traffic has remained firm throughout 2026. Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) screening data showed year-on-year growth in every month of the year, with first-quarter traffic rising 3.1%, second-quarter traffic increasing 2.3%, and third-quarter-to-date traffic climbing 4.3%.

Early September provided an even stronger reading, with traffic up 11.1% year on year. Two-year comparisons were also positive, with traffic growth of 5.8% in the first quarter, 5.1% in the second and 6.3% in the third quarter to date.

Are Canadian Travellers Moving Towards Lower-Cost Airlines?

Travel search behaviour suggests that consumers may be becoming more price-sensitive. Searches connected with Air Canada declined 1% year on year in August, following double-digit growth during June and July, while searches for non-mainline carriers continued to increase at high-single-digit rates.

RBC said this divergence could indicate a shift towards budget and regional airlines, potentially putting pressure on Air Canada’s yields and pricing power. Higher travel prices are also influencing spending figures, meaning stronger spending does not necessarily translate into stronger passenger volumes.

Why Is Corporate Air Travel Performing Better?

Corporate travel remains one of the strongest areas of Canadian aviation demand. RBC reported that corporate travel increased 22% year on year in July and 15% in August, providing continued support for premium and business-class demand.

The stronger corporate segment contrasts with a more challenging leisure market and could help airlines offset some pressure from weaker discretionary travel during the remainder of 2026.

What Does US Pilot Hiring Mean For Aviation?

The US commercial aviation labour market is also showing a sharp recovery. Pilot hiring rose 14% sequentially and 712% year on year to 422 pilots in July, while year-to-date hiring was 72% higher than in 2025.

RBC expects stronger pilot hiring activity at CAE in fiscal 2027 as airline retirements and aircraft deliveries increase.

What Is RBC Saying About Air Canada?

RBC maintained an Outperform rating on Air Canada, with a C$37 price target, while CAE also retained an Outperform rating with a C$46 price target. However, the report emphasised that the broader leisure-demand environment remains challenging, particularly as weaker US-bound travel contrasts with resilient domestic, international and corporate demand.

How Much Has Canadian-US Air Travel Declined?

The scale of the shift became increasingly visible in 2025. According to Statistics Canada, passenger traffic between Canadian airports and the United States fell 7.9% year on year to 29.4 million passengers in 2025.

The decline was concentrated in the Canada-US market, as domestic passenger traffic increased 2.9%, while air travel between Canada and international destinations outside the US grew 5.1%.

This divergence indicates that Canadians continued to travel but increasingly chose destinations outside the United States.

Air Canada Sees US Transborder Revenue Fall

Air Canada has been among the carriers directly affected by the weaker market. The airline reported that US transborder passenger revenue fell 10.4% in 2025 to C$3.831 billion, according to its 2025 financial reporting.

The decline followed weaker demand that became increasingly visible during the second quarter. Air Canada also experienced softer demand in its US network while other international markets provided greater support.

The airline had already received an early warning from its booking data. In March 2025, Air Canada said bookings for US transborder flights covering April through September were 10% below the comparable period a year earlier.

That booking decline subsequently translated into weaker passenger revenue.

Air Canada Looks Beyond The US

Air Canada’s network response illustrates how the airline industry is adapting to the changing demand environment. Rather than simply maintaining previous US capacity, the carrier has placed greater emphasis on international markets where demand has remained stronger.

For summer 2026, Air Canada increased its Mexico capacity by 18% year on year, demonstrating the carrier’s broader effort to allocate aircraft towards alternative leisure destinations.

The shift is important because Mexico, the Caribbean and long-haul international markets can absorb some of the demand that previously flowed into the United States.

WestJet Cuts US Transborder Flying

WestJet has also responded directly to weaker US demand. In February 2026, the airline announced the suspension of several US routes from Vancouver, including services to Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Tampa and Nashville.

WestJet also reduced its Kelowna-Seattle service and announced that its full-year transborder flying would fall by almost 10%, with a 15% reduction during historically peak US travel periods.

The airline said it was redirecting aircraft towards markets where demand was stronger, including domestic Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Air Transat Pulls Back From US Flying

Air Transat has taken an even more decisive approach by moving towards an exit from the US market.

The carrier’s remaining US routes were scheduled to disappear by June 2026. Although US flying represented only around 1% of Air Transat’s overall capacity, the decision demonstrates how airlines with smaller US exposure are also reassessing the market.

For Air Transat, the move allows capacity to be concentrated on its core leisure markets rather than maintaining a relatively small US network amid weaker demand.

2026 Data Show The Decline Is Continuing

The weakness has not disappeared in 2026. Statistics Canada reported that passengers carried by Canadian Level I airlines on scheduled transborder services in April 2026 were 8.4% lower than April 2025.

Compared with April 2024, the decline was even larger at 18.3%.

Airline capacity has also contracted. Available seat-kilometres on transborder services fell 12.4% year on year in April 2026 and were 16.6% below April 2024.

These figures are particularly important because they show that airlines are not merely selling fewer seats on unchanged schedules. They are actively reducing the amount of capacity deployed between Canada and the United States.

Why Are Canadian Airlines Redirecting Aircraft?

The broader travel data indicate that Canadian travellers have not abandoned international tourism. Instead, a significant proportion of demand appears to be moving towards other destinations.

RBC Economics reported that Canadians made 25.4% fewer return trips from the US in 2025 than in 2024, while trips from overseas destinations increased 9.2%.

Domestic travel has also remained comparatively resilient.

For airlines, this creates a straightforward network-planning challenge. Aircraft capacity is finite, and carriers have an incentive to deploy aircraft where bookings, yields and passenger demand provide stronger commercial opportunities.

What Does This Mean For The US Tourism Industry?

The airline capacity reductions could have consequences beyond aviation. Fewer direct flights can reduce the number of Canadian visitors reaching US destinations, particularly markets that depend heavily on air services from major Canadian cities.

Florida, Nevada, California, New York and other major tourism markets have already recorded significant reductions in Canadian visitation across various datasets.

The effect can extend to hotels, attractions, restaurants, shopping centres, cruise operators and local transportation providers.

However, the available evidence should not be interpreted as proof that every US destination is experiencing the same level of decline. Results vary according to destination, travel segment, season, airline and measurement methodology.

A New Canada-US Aviation Pattern Is Emerging

The Canada-US aviation market is undergoing a significant adjustment after the exceptionally strong travel levels recorded in 2024.

By 2025, passenger traffic, Canadian visits and airline revenue had fallen, while 2026 data indicate that the weakness has continued. Air Canada has reported lower US transborder revenue, WestJet has reduced transborder flying and Air Transat has substantially withdrawn from the market.

At the same time, Canadian airlines are directing capacity towards Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific and domestic Canadian destinations.

The emerging pattern is therefore not simply about Canadians travelling less. It is about where Canadians choose to travel — and how quickly airlines are adapting their networks to follow that changing demand.

“The changing pattern of Canadian travel to the United States is a significant development for the global travel industry. Myrtle Beach, Yuma, Panama City and other destinations demonstrate how quickly traveller preferences can influence tourism flows and airline networks. At the same time, the response from Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat highlights the industry’s ability to adapt capacity to evolving demand. This shift also creates opportunities for destinations beyond the United States to attract Canadian travellers with competitive experiences, accessibility and value. For tourism leaders, understanding these changes will be essential to building resilient markets and creating stronger, more diversified international visitor strategies.”, says Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, TTW

The cause is a sustained decline in Canadian travel to the United States after a strong 2024, with the downturn becoming especially visible in 2025 and continuing into 2026. The answer is increasingly visible in airline schedules: Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat have reduced, suspended or redirected US capacity. The reason is commercial. Airlines must match aircraft capacity with passenger demand and revenue opportunities. At the same time, Canadian travellers are showing stronger interest in destinations outside the United States. Consequently, destinations such as Myrtle Beach, Yuma and Panama City face weaker Canadian visitor flows, while alternative international markets gain greater attention.

The Canadian tourism slowdown is creating an increasingly visible challenge for Myrtle Beach, Yuma, Panama City and other US destinations that have traditionally benefited from Canadian visitors. Meanwhile, Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat are adjusting their networks as weaker US demand changes the economics of transborder flying.

The resulting flight cuts are significant because reduced air capacity can further affect tourism businesses that depend on international arrivals. However, the situation should not be interpreted as a complete collapse in Canadian travel. Instead, the evidence points to a redistribution of demand. Canadians continue to travel, but more are choosing domestic destinations and international markets beyond the United States. Therefore, the pressure on US tourism is closely connected to changing traveller preferences, airline network decisions and the comparison with exceptionally strong 2024 travel levels. The next phase will determine whether this remains temporary or develops into a longer-term market shift.

Image: Visit California

The post Myrtle Beach Aligns with Yuma, Panama City and Other US Destinations Empty with Canadian Tourists, Resulting Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat Flight Cut appeared first on Travel and Tour World