A sign marking the U.S.-Canada border is pictured on a rainy day near Dunseith, North Dakota. (Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – A steep decline in Canadian travel took its toll on North Dakota tourism, a new report shows.
According to the research by the private company Tourism Economics, North Dakota had 25.6 million visitors in 2025, a 2.6% decrease from the previous year.
International visits declined sharply, driven largely by reduced Canadian travel with a 24% drop in border crossings reported in the state’s annual travel update.
Domestic travelers make up most of the market, more than 88% of all visits.
A news release from the North Dakota’s Tourism Department said county-level data will be available in the coming weeks.
The news release said there are some positive trends for 2026:
- Canadian border entries increased in April for the first time in 15 months.
- Visits to Theodore Roosevelt National Park are up 27.3% year to date through April.
- First-quarter taxable sales and purchases show growth in key tourism-related sectors, including a 1.4% increase in accommodation and food services and a 13.4% increase in arts, entertainment and recreation compared with the first quarter of 2025.
Comments