The number of international travelers coming through Maine border crossings has fallen off sharply in the months since President Donald Trump took office.
Before January and the change of administrations, Maine had been on track for a busy year.
In the last three months of 2024, Maine saw more international visitors arriving in passenger vehicles, trucks, airplanes or on foot than during the same period in the two previous years, according to statistics published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
But in January and February when the winter lull in visits typically levels out before ramping up in the warm season, visits in 2025 continued to drop.
By April, Maine had almost a third fewer visitors than in April 2024 — down to roughly 98,800 from 147,000.
While the change may not be related to the new president, Trump’s tariffs against Maine’s closest international neighbor and longtime easygoing trading partner, Canada, has soured some Canadians on crossing the border. Canada’s President Justin Trudeau in March urged Canadians not to vacation in the U.S., mentioning Old Orchard Beach by name.
Trump has been openly hostile to many traditional foreign allies. Additionally, the administration’s highly publicized detentions of people inside the U.S. without due process may be keeping some would-be visitors away.