Researchers find 42% drop in Canadians visiting US metro areas amid Trump 2.0

The Guardian reports on University of Toronto research using cell phone tracking data showing a 42% year-over-year decline in Canadian visits to US metropolitan areas—substantially higher than official border-crossing data indicating a 25% decline. The article attributes the gap to the research tool's capture of freight traffic and return migration patterns, and cites specific impacts on border towns, major tourism destinations (Las Vegas, Disney World), and business travel hubs (San Francisco, Houston, Grand Rapids). The reporting is well-sourced with named researchers (Karen Chapple) and direct quotes; however, the article relies primarily on a single University of Toronto study without independent corroboration of the 42% figure itself, though independent search results confirm broader trends of reduced cross-border travel and suggest some nuance (Gen Z showing defiance of the boycott trend, Las Vegas reporting a more modest 17% decline). Watch for further peer review or validation of the University of Toronto methodology, and for whether the reported decline stabilizes, reverses, or deepens in coming months as Canadian sentiment toward US travel evolves.