New Hampshire saw 30% fewer visitors from Canada last summer as the Trump administration’s tariffs, border controls and hints about taking over our northern neighbor chilled the two nations’ relationship.
Every state bordering Canada saw sharp drops in visits from the north, but by some measures, New Hampshire was hit the hardest.
That’s the conclusion of an analysis by Democratic members of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, of which Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., is the ranking member.
The report includes accounts from several New Hampshire businesses, including Soloman’s Store in West Stewartstown, a few miles from the border.
“We spoke with Canadian customers who told us point-blank that they were hesitant to cross due to the current political tension. The joy of the ‘shopping day trip’ has been replaced by anxiety over border enforcement and tariffs,” said store owner Kyle Daley. Daley said he also saw fewer people passing through from Quebec to the Maine coast: “The usual parade of vacationers heading to Old Orchard Beach simply didn’t show up this year.”
Canadian tourism contributed $20.5 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 140,000 American jobs last year, according to the report.
The 30% decline in Canadian visitors reported by state officials in New Hampshire is the biggest percentage drop in any state listed. Vermont officials said border crossings were down 28% and reported a 49% decline in credit card spending by Canadians compared to 2024. Maine said border crossings from Canada were down 20%, while the ferry between Bar Harbor and Nova Scotia reported a 25% decline in business during the summer.
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