Travel Boycott Cuts Canadian Visitors to Montana

Summers in Montana used to mean Canadian plates everywhere. You’d see them lined up at gas stations, at Costco in Whitefish and Kalispell, even heading into Glacier. Not this year. Canadian tourism is on the decline, and no U.S. state bordering Canada has it rougher than Montana.

How Bad Is It?

Cross-border visits are down more than 30 percent compared to last summer. That’s bigger than the national average drop of almost 25 percent. Fewer people are crossing at high-traffic areas like Sweetgrass and Roosville, which are down by almost a third. For Montana, that’s a major hit. Canadians aren’t just extra traffic; they’re big spenders. They buy groceries, eat out, and turn weekend ski trips into full-on shopping sprees.

Why The Drop?

Politics. Tariffs. A Canadian travel boycott. Call it what you want, but fewer people are heading south, and it’s not just about the money. Canada has its own “buy local” movement that encourages avoiding U.S. trips. Montana’s economy leans on Canadian visitors more than other border states, so the impact is worse here.

Who’s Filling The Gap?

Domestic travelers. Americans are still coming to Glacier and booking hotel rooms, but numbers are flat. There’s only so much the maple leaf wearing crowd can be replaced with. The state even stopped marketing to Canadians entirely and shifted focus to U.S. visitors.

The Bottom Line

Tourism in Montana isn’t collapsing, but the wallets are thinner. It didn’t take long to realize how much those road trippers from Alberta and B.C. mattered. Not to mention the price of Canadian whiskey is ridiculous.