Will Utah's tourism industry feel the chill from Canadian cold front?

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Canadians account for just over a quarter of Utah’s $873 million tourist industry.

You have to wonder how much the dramatic drop in the number of Canadian visitors to the U.S. will be felt in the Beehive State.

Forbes reports the number of Canadians visiting the U.S. by car dropped 33% last month compared to last year. And the number of air travelers from Canada fell for the sixth straight month, falling 22% when compared to 2024.

Like Utah, Canadian tourists made up about a quarter of all foreign travelers to the U.S. last year, spending $20.5 billion.

That’s a not insignificant chunk.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates a 10% drop in Canadian tourism could lead to a $2.1 billion economic hit and impact 140,000 tourism-related jobs. The data from the last five months, with a more than 20% drop each month, suggests the overall impact could be much larger.

Oxford Economics estimates the number of international visitors to the United States will drop about 9% this year, resulting in a loss of $8.5 billion in spending.

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