Fewer snowbirds plan to flock to the United States this winter, with many choosing to fly overseas instead, a new survey found.
The number of respondents who intend to head stateside this year fell 15 per cent from 2024, according to a poll from Snowbird Advisor, an online resource for Canadians wintering outside the country.
Meanwhile the tally of snowbirds — residents who spend at least a month in a warmer location during winter — planning travel to Mexico, Spain or other sun-splashed spots has nearly doubled.
Nonetheless, some 70 per cent of respondents still expect to go to the U.S., drawn back by condo ownership, logistics or ties of kinship and community.
“Many of them own properties in the U.S. Many of them drive for the winter and if they want to have their car with them, the U.S. is the only option,” said Snowbird Advisor Insurance president Stephen Fine.
“Many of them have communities and friends and family that they want to spend their winters with.”
The 15 per cent decrease in U.S.-bound snowbirds amounts to a smaller decline than in other cross-border travel segments, such as short-term leisure travel, Fine said.
The number of Canadian residents who returned by car from the U.S. fell to 1.4 million in October, a 30.5 per cent drop from the same period in 2024, according to preliminary data from Statistics Canada.
Canadians’ growing aversion to America stems from a mix of factors including political tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, fear of potential mistreatment at the border and a lopsided exchange rate, with the loonie worth about 71 US cents.
“Some travellers, they will say, ‘No, I’m not travelling for leisure,'” said Joanna Yu, a senior manager of U.S. home equity financing at the Royal Bank of Canada.
But many still funnel south.
“Florida is still among the top destinations for Canadians,” she said. Arizona, California and Texas remain high on the list as well.
Many of those snowbirds who opt to steer clear of the U.S. have simply swapped in a different country, survey data suggests. The number of self-described snowbirds planning to stay home this year is virtually unchanged from 2024, despite the slide in U.S. travel.
The planned duration abroad is also comparable. Just like last year, close to two-thirds of snowbirds expect to stay in warmer climes for at least three months, Fine said.
Experts had expected a decrease in time spent away for reasons ranging from foreign travel restrictions to financial concerns or a more exotic locale. “But that doesn’t seem to have factored in,” he said.
The top five destinations beyond the U.S. are Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica and the Caribbean, he said. But spots farther afield are also proving popular, including Australia, New Zealand and Thailand — perhaps buoyed a “White Lotus”-fuelled surge in interest after the latest season of the hit satirical comedy series was set there.
The poll surveyed more than 4,000 snowbirds in late October and cannot be assigned a margin of error because it was conducted online.