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Wednesday, February 19, 2003

Travel between Canada and other countries

December 2002

Fewer Canadians travelled abroad in 2002, and fewer foreigners visited Canada, according to preliminary annual international travel data. Canadians made an estimated 39.4 million trips outside of Canada in 2002, down 8.7% from 2001. The number of visitors from the United States and overseas also declined, down 4.7% to 44.9 million. The number of overnight trips by Americans, however, rose 3.6% to 16.1 million. (Unless otherwise specified, these data are seasonally adjusted).

On a monthly basis, Canadian travel to the United States and overseas countries jumped 4.4% in December from November, the highest increase since January 2002. Travel to Canada rose for the sixth consecutive month in December (+1.8%), primarily the result of an increase in visitors from the United States.

Canadians made more than 3.4 million trips abroad in December. Of these, an estimated 3.0 million were to the United States, up 4.3%. Canadians also made 425,000 trips to overseas countries (+4.6%), the highest monthly figure on record.

The number of visitors from the United States rose 2.1% to fewer than 3.6 million. However, the number of overseas visitors dipped 0.7% to 360,000.

Only 5 of Canada's top 12 overseas markets showed increases in same-day and overnight trips to Canada in December. Mexico had the highest monthly increase (+12.5%), followed by Australia (+12.1%), the United Kingdom (+1.5%), France (+0.9%) and Germany (+0.4%). Hong Kong recorded the largest monthly loss (-10.9%), followed by Japan (-7.2%) and Taiwan (-3.0%). The number of visitors from China remained unchanged.

Americans made 1.4 million overnight trips to Canada, up 2.8% in December. Overnight plane travel by Americans rose 1.9% to 329,000. Overnight car trips increased 3.8% to 931,000, the highest monthly level since October 1973.

Canadians took about 1.2 million overnight trips south of the border, up 6.4% from November. Overnight travel by car jumped 11.3% but overnight travel by plane remained steady (-0.1%).

Canadians made more than 1.8 million same-day car trips to the United States in December, up 1.6%.

Available on CANSIM: tables 427-0001 to 427-0006.

Information on methods and data quality available in the Integrated Meta Data Base: survey number 5005.

The December 2002 issue of International travel, advance information, Vol. 18, no. 12 (66-001-PIE, $6/$55) is now available.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (1-800-307-3382; 613-951-7608; fax: 613-951-2909; cult.tourstats@statcan.gc.ca) or Frances Kremarik (613-951-4240; frances.kremarik@statcan.gc.ca), Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics.

Travel between Canada and other countries
  November 2002r December 2002p November to December 2002 December 2002 December 2001 to December 2002
Seasonally adjusted Unadjusted
'000 % change '000 % change
Canadian trips abroad1 3,281 3,424 4.4 2,880 7.6
  To the United States
 2,875 3,000 4.3 2,530 6.5
  To other countries
 406 425 4.6 350 15.7
Same-day car trips to the United States 1,780 1,808 1.6 1,649 3.0
Total trips, one or more nights 1,490 1,577 5.9 1,178 15.1
  United States2
 1,084 1,153 6.4 829 14.8
    Car
 629 699 11.3 452 14.2
    Plane
 355 355 -0.1 328 16.9
    Other modes of transport
 100 99 -1.5 49 7.4
  Other countries3
 406 425 4.6 350 15.7
Travel to Canada1 3,845 3,915 1.8 2,941 5.1
  from the United States
 3,483 3,556 2.1 2,682 4.8
  from other countries
 362 360 -0.7 259 7.8
Same-day car trips from the United States 2,001 2,036 1.8 1,674 4.9
Total trips, one or more nights 1,714 1,748 2.0 1,175 4.7
  United States2
 1,365 1,404 2.8 920 3.8
    Car
 897 931 3.8 593 2.8
    Plane
 323 329 1.9 279 7.8
    Other modes of transport
 145 143 -1.4 48 -5.0
  Other countries3
 349 344 -1.2 255 7.8
Most important overseas markets4          
United Kingdom 68 69 1.5 54 1.9
Japan 46 43 -7.2 23 16.7
France 28 28 0.9 19 4.1
Germany 27 27 0.4 14 0.2
Australia 14 16 12.1 17 22.8
Mexico 14 16 12.5 13 27.4
South Korea 15 15 -1.2 10 10.7
Hong Kong 12 10 -10.9 8 1.1
Netherlands 10 10 -0.1 6 7.5
Italy 10 10 -0.6 6 34.3
China 8 8 0.0 7 18.5
Taiwan 8 8 -3.0 5 -11.5
rRevised figures.
pPreliminary figures.
1Totals exceed the sum of "same-day car trips" and "total trips, one or more nights" because they include all of the same-day trips.
2Estimates for the United States include counts of cars and buses, and estimated numbers for planes, trains, boats and other methods.
3Figures for other countries exclude same-day entries by land only, via the United States.
4Includes same-day and one or more night trips.


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