Characteristics of international travellers

A record 1.3 million Canadian residents took overnight trips to overseas countries between July and September 2004, up 9.1% from the third quarter of 2003.

Travel to Canada from overseas countries rebounded from the double-digit declines in 2003 when there were concerns about the war in Iraq and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis. The number of overnight trips from overseas jumped 30.2%, as more than 1.6 million tourists from overseas countries visited Canada during the third quarter of 2004.

Just over 4.4 million Canadian residents visited the United States overnight in the third quarter, up 5.4% from same quarter of 2003.

In the other direction, over 6.5 million Americans made overnight trips to Canada, an increase of 7.7% over the third quarter of 2003.

Record number of Canadians travel overseas

Between July and September 2004, Canadian residents took a record 1.3 million overnight trips to overseas countries, a 9.1% increase from the same period in 2003. This was the seventh quarterly increase since the third quarter of 2002.

The number of overnight Canadian visits to Asia jumped by more than one-half during the third quarter compared with a year earlier, likely the result of dwindling concerns about SARS.

Europe was still the destination of choice for most Canadian tourists, accounting for 7 out of the top 12 countries visited. Overnight visits to Europe were up 4.9% compared with the third quarter of 2003. For the first time since 2000, France was the most popular overseas country visited by Canadian tourists in the third quarter.

However, Canadians were less likely to travel to the Caribbean, Oceania and Africa compared with the third quarter of 2003.

Canadian residents increased their spending by 13.2% to over $2.3 billion on their overseas trips in the third quarter of 2004 and stayed longer (+8.0% to 28.0 million nights) compared with the same period a year earlier.

More Americans on business trips in Canada

More than 6.5 million Americans took overnight trips to Canada in the third quarter of 2004, a 7.7% increase from 2003. Americans also spent more (+12.0 to $3.7 billion) and stayed longer (+7.6% to 28.8 million nights).

Pleasure travel accounted for two-thirds of all American overnight travel to Canada in the third quarter, up 7.2% from the same period in 2003. Americans also made 5.8% more trips to visit friends and relatives in Canada.

The number of overnight business trips to Canada jumped 14.5% compared with 2003, as over half a million Americans came north for that purpose in the third quarter of 2004.

More than 1.4 million Americans travelled by plane for an overnight stay in Canada, a 16.2% increase over the same period in 2003. Travel by air accounted for 22.0% of all overnight travel to Canada from the United States.

Overnight car travel from the United States rose a comparatively modest 4.4% in the third quarter of 2004.

Residents of the eastern regions of the United States began coming back to Canada in the third quarter following significant drops in 2003. The South-Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic and the East North Central regions all recorded double-digit gains in the number of overnight trips to Canada.

The top five American states of origin to Canada all recorded increases in overnight travel to Canada compared with the third quarter of 2003.

New York led the way with over 800,000 tourists visiting Canada followed by Michigan and Washington. Combined, these three states were home to more than two million American visitors in the third quarter of 2004, nearly one-third of the US market.

Canadian travel to the United States rises with the dollar

As the Canadian dollar increased in value compared to its US counterpart, the number of Canadian residents making overnight trips to the United States also increased. The 5.4% increase in Canadian overnight travel to the States coincided with a 5.6% increase in the value of the loonie.

Together, the three border states of New York, Washington and Maine hosted one-third of Canadian overnight visitors to the United States. New York remained the most popular state for Canadian residents as well as the state where they spent the most nights (2.8 million) and the most money ($212 million).

However, Hawaii and southern states such as Florida, South Carolina and California registered the longest average length of stay, reaching over 12 nights for Hawaii. Among the top 15 most popular states, Nevada had the highest average spending per visitor per night ($170), more than double the average spent per visitor per night by Canadians in the United States ($82).

Canadian residents spent nearly $1.9 billion on overnight trips to the United States in the third quarter of 2004, up 2.6% from a year ago. Canadians also spent 22.4 million nights in the United States, a 2.4% increase from the third quarter of 2003.

Overseas visitors returning to Canada

The number of overseas tourists to Canada increased 30.2% between July and September 2004. More than 1.6 million visitors came to Canada from overseas, the highest third quarter figure since 2001.

Over the last three years, overseas travel to Canada has been buffeted by a series of events. Significant declines not only followed the events of September 11, 2001, but also occurred after the start of the war in Iraq, the outbreak of SARS, and the discovery of a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), all in the spring and early summer of 2003.

The third-quarter rise in overnight travel from overseas was mainly attributable to gains in the number of Asian (+37.6%) and European (+25.9%) visitors.

The United Kingdom continued to lead the list of Canada's top overseas markets as about 324,000 residents travelled to Canada in the third quarter of 2004. All of the top 12 overseas markets recorded double digit increases in the number of overnight trips to Canada. The most significant gains were recorded by Japan, Italy, Mexico, Australia and France.

Business trips led the way with a 39.0% increase in the third quarter. Pleasure trips, which represented over half of all overnight trips from overseas, were also up 36.5%.

Spending by tourists from overseas countries was up 25.1% compared with the third quarter of 2003 to $2.2 billion. The number of nights spent in Canada by overseas residents also rose 8.2% to 22.3 million nights.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3152.

This release summarises data now available from the International Travel Survey. Tables, various statistical profiles and micro-data files of characteristics of international travellers using revised second quarter 2004 data as well as the preliminary third quarter 2004 data are now available on request.

Data on characteristics of international travellers for the fourth quarter and full year 2004 will be released on May 27.

To obtain one or more of these products, or to get a more detailed description of the new initiatives, contact Client Services (1-800-307-3382; 613-951-7608; fax: 613-951-2909; cult.tourstats@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Frances Kremarik (613-951-4240; fax: 613-951-2909; kremfra@statcan.gc.ca), Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics.