ROCHESTER, N.Y. — New York saw a 21% decrease in the number of Canadian visitors in 2025.
Canada is the state’s largest trading partner. The state comptroller released the report last week and attributed the drop to federal policies including increased tariffs and immigration restrictions.
Click here to read the full report.
News10NBC’s Erin Mahon spoke with Visit Rochester and several museums to see how state data compares to local experience.
“Tourism in Monroe County alone is a billion dollar business,” Don Jeffries said.
Jeffries is the CEO and president of Visit Rochester, the county’s tourism bureau. Its most recent data is from 2024 and shows nearly $1.5 billion in visitor spending in Monroe County that year. Across the Finger Lakes region, travelers spent $4.6 billion.
Mahon: “What does that go towards funding, at the county level?”
Jeffries: “Well at the county level there’s a hotel motel tax, but it’s also the sales tax. The other thing is jobs. Tourism accounts for more than 20,000 jobs in Monroe County alone. So it’s a big economic impact.”
Visit Rochester’s data is limited to domestic travelers, but it’s still able to see data on international travelers by talking to attractions. Jeffries said the Strong Museum and the Rochester Museum and Science Center have all seen decreases.
RMSC saw a 59% decrease in Canadian visitors during this year’s first quarter when compared to its peak in 2024.
The George Eastman Museum said about 12% of its visitors are international. It’s seeing a decrease in Canadian visitors, but specifically those visiting by coach bus.
“I think with motorcoach, it’s a number of things. Some of it is just any sort of challenges they’re going to see at the border. Anything that they’re seeing in the news where they’re finding it maybe a little bit harder to sell their trips,” said Eliza Bennington, senior director of marketing and engagement for George Eastman Museum. “People are just hesitant to come over. And so that’s where it’s really much more of that individual decision and why we’re seeing the individual traffic coming,” Bennington said.
Both Visit Rochester and Eastman are working to attract more visitors in general, but the lack of Canadian tourism isn’t hitting this region as hard as it is the border.
Visit Rochester said there’s been an uptick in domestic travel through the Finger Lakes region and that’s helping fill the gap in international tourism.
Read Visit Rochester’s full report from 2024:
2024_Annual_Report_Final_CRM_d39fee7c-6579-4002-8c2e-a4aa06495eecDownloadNew York sees drop in Canadian visitors as tariffs and immigration policies impact tourism WHEC.com.
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