Travel collapse! Canadian tourists vanish overnight — Montana’s vacation towns in panic mode

US-Canada border tourism trends 2025: Montana’s popular vacation towns are facing a sudden crisis as Canadian tourists, once a reliable source of visitors, seem to have vanished almost overnight, as per a report. Local businesses and tourism officials are sounding the alarm as cross-border visits plunge, putting the region’s economy on edge, according to a NBC Montana report.

Canadians Make Up a Key Part of Montana’s Tourism Economy

Jefferey Michael, director of the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, has shared that Canadians have traditionally made up about 8% of Montana’s non-resident visitors, as reported by CNBC. But recent data tells a worrying story as the number of Canadians coming into Montana has sharply declined, sparking concern among tourism-dependent communities, as per the report.

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Canadian Tourists Decline: Montana's Vacation Towns Sound the Alarm

CEO of Montana’s Glacier Country tourism group, Racene Friede, pointed out that though Canadians are still visiting, but the numbers are declining, according to the NBC Montana report.

Friede said that, "They are absolutely coming especially if you were to talk to the businesses on the ground, Canadians are here, but we are most certainly seeing a decrease in visitation," as quoted in the report.

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Border Crossings Drop at Every Port of Entry

Data from US Customs and Border Protection shows Canadian crossings at Montana’s key entry points have fallen recently, reported NBC Montana, citing May's data.

At the Del Bonita port, crossings dropped nearly 25% compared to 2024, while Piegan and Roosville saw declines of about 12% and 29%, respectively, according to the report. Even the busy Sweetgrass port recorded a 28% drop, compared to last year, as per NBC Montana.

However, Michael pointed out that, "not every Canadian visitor to Montana enters this way – but it is a decent indicator," as quoted in the report.

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Credit Card Spending Confirms the Decline in Tourism Dollars

Local tourism leaders are backing up the border data with insights from consumer behavior, like Diane Medler, executive director of Discover Kalispell, noted that Canadian credit card spending in the area has dropped by roughly 37% per month so far this year, with March seeing the steepest fall, as reported by NBC Montana.

Even the executive director at Explore Whitefish, Zak Anderson, said that Canadian credit card spending has fallen 25% in Whitefish through May, according to the report. Anderson pointed out that it is important to note that "the increase in domestic travel and visitation to Glacier Park has also had an another impact," as quoted in the NBC Montana report.

While Friede said that the fall in Canadian tourists lead her company to launch a Canadian marketing campaign, saying that, "It's really all about letting the Canadians know that we miss them, that we don't think of them as a target market, we think of them as neighbors, friends, family. We share a history, we share so much more than just a border," as quoted in the report.

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FAQs

Are Canadians still visiting Montana in 2025?
Yes, but far fewer than in previous years. Border data and spending trends show a sharp decline.

How important are Canadian visitors to Montana’s economy?
They typically make up about 8% of all non-resident visitors.