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Wednesday, November 19, 2003 Travel between Canada and other countriesSeptember 2003An estimated 3.3 million visitors came to Canada in September, a 10.7% increase from August. The vast majority of those visitors were from the United States. The number of visitors from overseas countries also rose, as 282,000 trips were made in September, up 2.8% from August. Despite September's advance, the number of trips to Canada for the first nine months of this year was the lowest since 1984. Travel to Canada from the United States jumped 11.5% in September, the second such increase in the past four months, as travel to and from Canada experienced gains across the board. Canadian travel abroad increased for the fifth consecutive month, reaching its highest level in nearly a year. (Unless otherwise specified, data are seasonally adjusted). The increase in trips to Canada from the United States in September was seen in every travel category. Overnight trips by Americans to Canada increased 5.3%, with gains in all modes of transport. The number of same-day trips to Canada increased substantially and the number of same-day car trips was 10.9% higher than in August. Ontario recorded a substantial increase in September, as 18.3% more Americans entered the province following an August remembered for its electrical power outage. In September, only 3 of Canada's top 12 overseas markets saw monthly declines in both same-day and overnight trips. The number of visitors from China dropped 11.2%, followed by an 8.0% decline from Switzerland and a 2.0% decline from Germany. In contrast, the number of visitors from Taiwan rose 16.0%, followed by 11.8% increases from Japan and Mexico. Trips by overseas travellers have generally been rising since the spring of 2003. Travel to the United States rose 1.5%, as an estimated 2.9 million Canadian residents travelled south of the border in September. The number of overnight trips to the United States increased at the same rate. Overnight trips by car increased 1.0% while overnight trips by air rose 2.4%. Same-day car travel also increased (+3.5%) in September. This coincided with a 2.4% increase in the value of the Canadian dollar against its American counterpart. Since September 2001, the value of Canadian dollar has increased 15.7% against the United States dollar. Canadian travel to countries other than the United States increased for the fifth consecutive month in September. An estimated 420,000 Canadian residents made trips to overseas countries, up 1.9% from August. This is the highest figure since December 2002 and the fourth highest month on record. Available on CANSIM: tables 427-0001 to 427-0006. Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5005. The September 2003 issue of International travel, advance information, Vol. 19, no. 9 (66-001-PIE, $7/$59) is now available. For general information, contact Client Services (1-800-307-3382; 613-951-7608; fax: 613-951-9040; cult.tourstats@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Frances Kremarik (613-951-4240; frances.kremarik@statcan.gc.ca), Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics.
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