According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Maine is seeing a modest rebound in Canadian tourism traffic after more than a year of declines. This was one of the states that had been hit the hardest by Canada’s U.S. travel boycott, which began after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Canada as a possible 51st U.S. state.
Last summer, Maine lost a significant number of Canadian tourists, almost matching its entire population. While the situation is now improving, it will likely take a long time for Canadian tourist numbers to return to 2024 levels.
Maine Experiences Slight Increase In Canadian Crossings
In June 2026, Maine border crossings saw a slight increase in the number of Canadians compared to the same period in 2025. While last year 108,934 Canadian vehicles entered the U.S. via Maine, this year the figure increased to 119,970. According to Kim Howard, executive director of Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce, businesses in the area are also starting to notice growth.
“I’ve definitely been answering questions with more Canadian accents the past few weeks. So yeah, I believe we are seeing a few more than we had last year,” Howard told Maine Public.
These figures appear to confirm Statistics Canada’s numbers, which indicate that Canada’s U.S. travel boycott is now stabilizing. This new trend is likely to be welcomed positively by Maine citizens working in the tourism sector, as the state lost nearly one million Canadian tourists last summer.
Maine’s Decline in Canadian Tourists Nearly Matched the State’s Entire Population During The Travel Boycott
Canada’s U.S. travel boycott didn’t affect all U.S. states equally, as those near the border often experienced the largest declines. In March, Chellie Pingree, who represents a Maine congressional district that includes destinations popular with Canadians, such as Old Orchard Beach, Portland, and Kittery, told CBC News that the state lost nearly 1 million visitors in 2025.
“Just to put it in perspective, our state has 1.5 million people,” Pingree said. “So to have that many less people coming across the border, whether it’s Canadian tourists or people who come for shopping or family visits, it’s really been doing damage to our state,” Pingree said.
According to Pingree, Maine experienced a 27% drop in border crossings, which had drastic consequences for the state’s tourism sector. The decline prompted Governor Janet Mills to issue a message to Canadians, reminding them that they are more than welcome in Maine. “Well, I’ve been speaking to some of my Atlantic Province Canadian counterparts, and I want to reassure them every day that Maine will continue to welcome Canadian residents to enjoy world-class experiences here in Maine. And that in turn, we’ll continue to visit their provinces as well,” the message read.
While it appears that the message might have worked, as crossings throughout the state are now starting to see a rebound, the uncertain. At present, it’s still unclear when Canadian numbers will once again match pre-Trump levels.
