A growing number of Canadian businesses and professionals are cancelling trips to the United States, citing safety concerns, political tensions, and fear of detainment at the border as backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies intensifies.
Among them is Oscar Acosta, CEO of Ottawa-based tech startup Body M3canix, who recently cancelled three major U.S. business trips, including a Boston investor event and a California aeronautics conference. His decision was driven by rising anxiety after reading about the case of Jasmine Mooney, a 35-year-old Canadian actress and entrepreneur who was detained for 12 days after reapplying for a work visa in San Diego, before being banned from re-entering the U.S. for five years.
“That struck fear in my heart,” said Acosta. “Being an entrepreneur as well, being from a visible minority… would I not run into a situation like the one that this lady ran into?”
His experience mirrors a broader trend that’s taking a toll on the U.S. travel sector. According to Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, cross-border business air travel fell nearly 40 per cent year-over-year in February, following a surge in cancellations across industries — from finance and manufacturing to media and real estate.
“There was a fever pitch of cancellations,” said Chris Lynes, managing director of Flight Centre. “There’s angst and anger directed at the U.S. government. People just don’t feel safe crossing the border.”
This steep decline in corporate travel follows escalating tensions between Ottawa and Washington, sparked by Trump’s tariff hikes, hostile rhetoric, and recent suggestions that Canada should become the “51st state” of the U.S. The U.S. Travel Association now warns that a 30 per cent drop in Canadian tourism could cost the American economy up to $6 billion.
The chilling effect has not only disrupted existing bookings but is influencing future planning as well. Events scheduled through 2027 are being relocated to Canada, Mexico, and Europe, with some firms opting out of U.S. travel altogether to avoid border issues and reputational risk.
Even when trips proceed, internal divisions are emerging. Royal LePage, for example, is moving ahead with a planned conference in Nashville this September, but CEO Phil Soper acknowledged in a company memo that some agents may choose not to attend, citing political sensitivities and personal discomfort.
“Cancelling now would only hurt our own network — not Trump and not the U.S. economy,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reports a broader retreat from U.S. travel: Canadian return visits by car have dropped 32 per cent, and plane travel to the U.S. is down 13.5 per cent year-over-year.
For entrepreneurs like Acosta, the choice to cancel wasn’t made lightly. He had already secured hotels, booked meetings, and even prepared his dog’s travel documents. But the risks, he said, outweigh the rewards.
“I bought new tires, planned the route, and I was ready,” he said. “But why would I put myself under any risk?”
The mounting tension between North America’s closest partners is now being felt not only in political and economic circles, but also in boardrooms and conference halls, where trust and ease of mobility once helped drive shared prosperity.