Travel / news
European Destinations Rethink North America as US and Canadian Travel Paths Split
US trips to Europe slipped in mid-2026 after a record year, while Canadian visits to Europe climbed sharply alongside a pullback from the United States. Tourism boards are being urged to treat the two markets as separate rather than one North American bloc.
Europe's largest tourism boards — among them France, Britain, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and Portugal — maintain dedicated teams in Canadian cities including Toronto and Montreal. Smaller destinations often cannot justify the cost and cover North America from a single office or agency, frequently in New York.
American travelers made close to 24 million trips to Europe in 2025, a record. Growth then cooled: monthly increases slid from roughly 6% last summer to 2% by May, and departures dropped 2.1% in June 2026 and a further 1.2% in July.
Canadian demand moved in the opposite direction. Visits to the United States fell 23.5% in 2025, while trips to Europe rose 13.6%. About 45% of Canadians say they plan a European trip this year, against 34% of Americans.
The divergence means a single North America strategy now covers two markets heading in different directions. Destinations that build separate plans for each, whether through a New York office or a Toronto team, are positioned to capture that growth.