More Europeans are flying to Canada than ever before, aviation data shows
According to data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium, a record-breaking 4,276 flights are scheduled between Canada and Europe this month.
That's up 5% since the same period last year, 14% since before the pandemic, and more than 40% over the past decade.
The rise has been backed by flag carrier Air Canada, which added an extra 112 flights, or 34,500 seats, this month.
It opened five new transatlantic routes, including Edinburgh, Scotland, and Naples, Italy, to Montreal.
Flights between the US and Europe have been growing too, but not as quickly.
Cirium data shows a rise of 4% between August 2024 and August 2025, and one-third between August 2015 and August 2025.
Airlines have raised concerns that fewer people are interested in visiting the US since Donald Trump began his second presidency in January.
For July and August, airlines cut capacity by 3.5% on routes between the US and Canada, OAG reported in March.
"This sharp drop suggests that travelers are holding off on making reservations, likely due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the broader trade dispute," said John Grant, the travel data firm's chief analyst.
While political tensions also saw bookings drop from Europe, price cuts helped encourage a rebound in May, Nicholas Smith, holidays digital director at Thomas Cook and eSky Group, told Business Insider's Thibault Spirlet in June.
Nonetheless, it may be that more Europeans are now choosing Canada instead of the US for a transatlantic vacation.
In April, the CEO of hotel giant Accor told Bloomberg that forward bookings for Europeans visiting the US this summer have fallen by a quarter. He added that they were instead looking at destinations like Canada and South America.
And while many Americans are still enjoying their " Euro Summers," the post-pandemic explosion of such trips may start to wane.
The dollar is about 11% weaker against the euro compared to the start of the year, when it was at near parity. That means traveling to Europe is more expensive than before.
Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar has dropped too, versus the euro, but only by 6%.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
25 minutes ago
- New York Post
Financial expert warns young Americans against ‘buy now, pay later' plans as shopping tactic growing in popularity
'Buy now, pay later' plans are rapidly growing in popularity among young Americans, but not everyone is convinced they're a smart financial choice. Haley Sacks, a personal finance influencer with over a million followers online, issued a chilling warning about BNPL plans on 'Fox & Friends' Tuesday, calling the practice 'predatory.' Advertisement 'My take is that you should not use 'buy now, pay later' at all,' Sacks said. 'If you need to finance something, use a credit card and a lot of credit card companies have 'pay over time' options with 0% interest.' Sacks argued credit cards offer important benefits BNPL plans don't, such as consumer protection and the opportunity to build credit. 'Buy now, pay later' services let buyers split purchases into multiple installments instead of paying the full price upfront. However, if users aren't careful to make payments on time, they may face late fees. Advertisement 3 'Buy now, pay later' plans are rapidly growing in popularity among young Americans, where buyers pay with multiple installments instead of the full price upfront. Bloomberg via Getty Images 3 Haley Sacks, a personal finance influencer with over a million followers online, warns against the practice, calling it 'predatory,' and saying that it doesn't offer benefits like consumer protection that credit cards do. fizkes – They're expected to hit record transaction volumes this year after initially being marketed as lower-risk alternatives to credit cards. But financial experts warn that reliance on these payment plans can lead to overspending and a rapid accumulation of debt if consumers aren't on top of them. A LendingTree survey from April found that more Americans are using BNPL services for everyday essentials like groceries, and that 40% of users admitted to missing a payment on at least one loan in the past year. Advertisement 3 Experts say the plans can lead to overspending and debt if consumers aren't on time with payments. Bloomberg via Getty Images Factors that could be leading to the shift are elevated prices, high interest rates, and student loan payments, which resumed less than two years ago after a stop during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sacks says these factors are part of why these types of deferred payment plans have resonated with a struggling generation of young people. Advertisement 'Gen Z is facing so much inflation, wages have not kept up, and this is a way to actually be able to get things that you want,' she said. 'But of course, then you're paying the price.' According to the LendingTree survey of 2,000 consumers aged 18 to 79, nearly half of American adults have used a BNPL service such as Klarna or Affirm. Millennials made up the largest share, but Gen Z and Gen X weren't far behind.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Foreign governments bet big to lobby Trump on tariffs. Most came up empty.
Countries across the globe have dropped tens of millions this year on lobbyists with ties to President Donald Trump as they rushed to stave off tariffs that could cripple their economies. In most cases, the spending has gotten them nowhere. As Trump has taken a scattershot approach to setting tariff rates — crafting trade agreements that set a 15 percent tariff on major trading partners while imposing rates that vary between 10 and 41 percent on the rest of the world — traditional lobbying tactics in Washington appear to have had little influence. At least 30 nations hired new lobbyists with connections to Trump since the election. They include major trading partners like South Korea and Japan as well as smaller countries like Bosnia and Ecuador. But employing those lobbyists appeared to bear little relation to whether the countries were able to avoid the most punishing tariffs. 'I think the current leadership in Washington seems to be disrupting the traditional way of doing things. It's not just about the business part, it's about diplomacy, it's about dealing with other nations,' said Mukesh Aghi, the CEO of the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum. 'I think the whole old model of trying to influence does not seem to work.' The new model is punishing India. After bringing longtime Trump adviser Jason Miller on board in April, the nation has nonetheless been walloped by Trump over the past two weeks. Tariffs for India are now set to rise to 50 percent, after the country failed to secure a trade agreement and Trump decided to jack up tariffs in response to its purchase of Russian oil. India inked a yearlong contract with Miller worth $1.8 million in exchange for 'strategic counsel, tactical planning and government relations assistance' as well as perception management and public relations, according to documents filed with the Justice Department. He did not respond to a request for comment. The experiences of Canada and Mexico stand out. Canada's provinces stocked up on lobbyists and the country has still been hammered by Trump. Mexico didn't and relied instead on President Claudia Sheinbaum's personal relationship with Trump — a direct approach that worked better. Five of Canada's 10 provinces brought on new lobbying or public relations help in the last year, amid a federal leadership vacuum as the country prepared to elect a new prime minister. Capitol Counsel lobbyists representing Ontario and Alberta set up meetings and calls for provincial officials with more than a dozen Republican members of Congress as well as Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. Meanwhile, lobbyists at HBW Resources worked to create inroads with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on behalf of energy-heavy Saskatchewan and Alberta, DOJ filings show. In February, a federation of Canadian premiers and territorial leaders hired Checkmate Government Relations for assistance arranging a trade mission to Washington. The firm is led by Ches McDowell, a hunting buddy of Donald Trump Jr., and employs the son of Trump's 2024 campaign co-chair. For $85,000, Checkmate got the premiers a meeting at the White House with deputy chief of staff James Blair and director of presidential personnel Sergio Gor. Less than a month later, Canada's D.C. Embassy hired the public affairs firm Signal Group for a crash course and media training on messaging on right-wing media. It included a 'right-wing message analysis' of the Canadian ambassador's recent TV interviews and breakdown of Maslow's hierarchy of needs for the MAGA set. Mexico, by contrast, has just a single lobbying firm, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, on retainer, to provide legal services on trade issues. Yet despite Mexico playing a more direct role in the flow of fentanyl — a top concern of Trump — it was the neighbor to the north that ultimately faced steeper tariffs. Canada now has a 35 percent tariff on its goods, while Mexico has stayed at 25 percent, even though most products are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Mexico appeared to benefit from what one Mexican official described as personal ties between Trump and Sheinbaum. A Republican lobbyist working on Trump's tariffs suggested that making headway with the president requires a shift in thinking. 'I think what's happened with some of these countries is they felt entitled to the status quo,' the lobbyist argued. 'And they were offended that anyone, even the U.S. president, would suggest changing it at all.' The lobbyist pointed to the success that Sheinbaum has had in wooing Trump. Instead of taking a combative stand, 'the better approach is to look at it from the perspective of: The president wants to redefine the trade relationship between the two countries, and that's his goal, and you have to deal with him on those terms,' the person said. Leader-to-leader calls were particularly valuable in helping countries make their case directly to Trump. 'From my perspective, the best way to lobby President Trump is for the leader to face-to-face lobby him,' Tami Overby, a partner at DGA Group Government who focuses on trade in South Korea. 'It seems President Trump, he always talks about his relationships with other leaders. You know, whether we're in a good spot with that country or not [depending] if he feels like he's got a good relationship. And he sees himself as a deal maker.' Many of the firms enlisted to represent foreign governments before the Trump administration are mainstays of the D.C. lobbying scene, and plenty of countries already had veteran trade lobbyists or lobbyists with ties to Trump on their payrolls before the election. They include Mercury Public Affairs, the former K Street home of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles which signed five new foreign governments since November, including South Korea, Ecuador and Libya. And while South Korea reached an agreement with the White House to set its tariffs to 15 percent in exchange for investments in the U.S. and lower trade barriers, tariff rates increased between April and August for both Ecuador and Libya. In Ecuador's case, it went from being ignored in Trump's first threats of 'reciprocal' tariffs, to facing a 15 percent tariff in August. Mercury also lobbies for the Japanese government, which maintains a roster of more than two dozen lobbying and public relations firms in the U.S. Japan was among the first major trading partners to strike a trade agreement — setting its tariffs at 15 percent, down from a threatened 25 percent. Ballard Partners, the previous home to Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi, helped broker a phone call between Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba the day after the election, according to documents filed with DOJ under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Another Trump-linked lobbying firm, BGR Group, has signed six new foreign governments since Trump's win last year. It previously employed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and is home to Trump adviser David Urban. Some of its foreign clients, like Angola and South Korea, saw their tariff rates drop between April and August. But the firm also lobbies for the Indian government, which paid BGR $300,000 from December through May, though much of that work was related to flaring tensions with Pakistan. Several Southeast Asian economies that have hired help in Washington fared better, with many of them receiving lower rates compared to the initial duties unveiled in April. Their wins were relative, though: The countries' tariff rates are higher than before, and broadly higher than much of the world. In other words, lobbyists might have succeeded in helping their clients avoid the worst case, but the outcomes could hardly be considered triumphs. Countries hired U.S.-based lobbying firms to strengthen ties with the Trump administration, and worked with business groups with ties to lower-level Trump administration officials across the Departments of Commerce and Treasury. Cambodia and Indonesia had their tariff cut to 19 percent, substantially lower compared to rates initially outlined by the president in April. DOJ filings show that Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld reached out to U.S. Trade Representative's Office chief of staff Sam Mulopulos on behalf of the Cambodian government on the same day that Trump announced his so-called reciprocal tariffs. The firm sent Mulopulos multiple follow-up texts over the next few months to coordinate meetings with Cambodia's negotiators and check for updates on the status of tariff negotiations, and organized meetings on the Hill with lawmakers including Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), according to the filings. In the end, Cambodia saw one of the largest tariff rate declines of any country between April and May, dropping from a threatened 49 percent duty. The Trump administration for its part has portrayed the countries with the most significant declines as cooperative partners that were willing to make the greatest concessions to the president's terms. One former diplomat who worked with governments across Southeast Asia said representatives from Vietnam arranged more than two dozen meetings with government officials, which ramped up days after Trump outlined his April rates. The country secured a modest win as its tariff rate was cut from 46 to 20 percent — though the final figure remains higher than what Vietnam officials say was originally agreed to. One Asian diplomat credited lobbying efforts by countries in the region with helping shift the Trump administration away from its original trade strategy, which aimed to pull regional economies out of China's orbit and prioritize crackdowns on Chinese transshipment and other enforcement measures. 'Some countries need the access that lobbyists can give and an intermediary for backdoor and informal talks,' they said. A number of countries turned to first-time foreign lobbyists who are cashing in on their ties to Trump or his circle. The Pakistani government brought on seven new lobbying firms this year, including Trump's former bodyman Keith Schiller and George Sorial, the Trump Organization's former compliance chief. Neither of them had ever registered as foreign agents before, but Pakistan agreed to pay their firm $50,000 per month, according to a copy of the contract filed with DOJ. Islamabad managed to have its 'reciprocal' tariff rate lowered from 29 percent to 19 percent — a contrast to Pakistan's rival next door, India. Among the foreign governments that signed Continental Strategy this spring were Guyana — which is paying the firm $50,000 per month and saw its tariff rate plunge from 38 percent in April to 15 percent in August — and Japan, which is paying the firm $37,500, DOJ filings show. Continental Strategy is led by Carlos Trujillo, a diplomat who served in Trump's first administration, and Alberto Martinez, a top former aide to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Some countries and industries that have been successful in swaying Trump have later had those advantages neutralized. The 'Big Three' American auto companies — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — helped convince the administration to create a rebate program, aiding auto producers that rely on the North American supply chain. But as Trump set about crafting trade deals, that advantage was quickly neutralized. Japan, South Korea and the European Union — all trading partners with large auto industries — were able to secure a 15 percent tariff on cars and car parts, undermining the efforts of U.S. automakers to build domestically. Even after this week's tariff implementation kickoff, countries and lobbyists are still holding out hope that they can win exceptions or other helpful provisions. That possibility is sure to keep business booming on K Street, despite its lackluster performance. 'A lot of clients are like, 'Well, is it done? Can we still get our thing in there?'' the Republican lobbyist noted. 'The framework is there, but there's still a lot of blank spaces, and that's where we're seeing a lot of activity.


Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Americans Share Culture Shock Abroad
So much of traveling abroad is learning how to adapt to a new culture while you're visiting, and oftentimes, you discover differences that you never even expected would be unique to your own country's culture. So when Reddit user u/TJBullz asked the question, "Americans of Reddit, what is something you didn't realize was typically American, until you went abroad?" In r/AskReddit, I knew it would be full of some very interesting and unbelievable realizations: "Garbage disposals in sinks. When I moved to the UK, my flatmates asked how in movies people would stick their hands in the sink drain and it would be ripped apart. I told them about garbage disposals, and they were very weirded out." "Ranch flavor Doritos in the Netherlands are called 'Cool American' flavor." "Red plastic cups for parties. So much so that people outside the US use them as an accessory to American-themed parties." "Keeping the AC on 100% of the time in the summer. I visited Madrid for about a month to see the exchange student we housed, and found that they typically only turn on the AC at night to sleep or when it reaches a damned 105 degrees F." "Dressing like shit to do stuff like grocery shopping. We went to the Netherlands for about two weeks, and we never saw anyone dress in comfy shit. Like, everyone looked nice everywhere… at all hours. You catch me walking through Walmart at 3 a.m., and I'm wearing old PJs and whatever shirt I happen to exist in, and I'm probably not wearing socks." "At a buffet in Germany, I had to pay for ketchup." "Sugar. When I visited Japan, even some of their sweetest desserts paled in comparison to how much sugar is in American food." "I was struck by the extent to which nobody talks to strangers in northern Europe ... Even in big cities in the US, people will talk to each other sometimes in line, on the subway, etc. Not deep conversations, but it isn't weird to make casual conversation." "S'mores. I was in New Zealand having a bonfire on the beach, and someone went and grabbed a bag of marshmallows, and then everyone just ate them??! By themselves?! And someone from Sweden asked me if s'mores were a real thing or only on TV. I was flabbergasted. This all could be due in part to the fact other places don't tend to have graham crackers." "Water pressure. Y'all's showers are like a flower watering pot. I like to feel my shower. Like, make the pressure strong enough to tear my skin off, then back it off like ten percent." "Road least just jumping in the car and driving a few hours without giving it much thought. I live in a large western state, and it seems at least every other weekend my family and I were in the car traveling for a few hours to see some sights or go into Mexico or another state." "Cold drinks. Every European country I visited, the drinks would best be described as cool but definitely not cold like in the US." "Tailgates. I've lived in the States my entire life, but when my Spanish girlfriend came to visit, I wasn't sure what I could show her that really exhibited American culture. There are plenty of American stereotypes you see on TV, but it wasn't until I took her to a tailgate that I realized how violently American the whole experience is." "The fear of strangers. I was in Munich and chatted a girl up at the hotel bar. She asked me to walk her home, and I hesitated at first because I thought, 'We hardly know each other, and that's walking around in a large city at night alone together.' She saw NOTHING wrong with it, and no one looked at us funny. I did so, and it was fine. The Germans just are not paranoid about stranger danger the way Americans are." "Apparently, it's weird to carry around a reusable, non-plastic water bottle outside the US. When I studied in South America, the big joke at the university was, 'You can always tell who the Americans are by their water bottles.' I'm talking Nalgene, Swell, etc. with stickers on it. I was embarrassed by this, but not enough to not stay hydrated." And finally, here's an interesting one for everyone who loves to wine and dine while they're abroad: "Going out to a restaurant. In America, you are seated ASAP, and then they bring you drinks, appetizers, an entree, dessert, and then your check. It's as quick as possible (if it's good service) for a total time of 45 minutes to an hour and a half-ish. Staying past this time is seen as a bit rude." Are you an American who has also discovered some "distinctly American" things during your travels? Let me know in the comments!