Characteristics of international travellers

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Overnight travel from the United States to Canada dropped again, reaching the lowest level for a first quarter in 10 years.

The decline in the first quarter was the eighth consecutive year-over-year quarterly decrease.

US residents took fewer than 1.8 million overnight trips to Canada in the first quarter of 2007, down 6.3% compared with the same quarter in 2006.

Among the top 10 states of origin for overnight travel to Canada, 8 states recorded year-over-year declines. Of the top 10 states, Michigan posted the largest decrease with a 16.9% drop in overnight trips.

Despite a 2.9% decrease, Washington remained at the top of the list as its residents took 282,000 overnight trips to Canada.

Overnight travel both by air and by car from the United States fell between January and March. It was the fifth consecutive year in which first-quarter overnight car trips declined.

American residents made just over 1 million overnight car trips to Canada, an 8.3% decline from 2006.

Gasoline prices were only slightly higher in the first quarter compared with the same period in 2006, with prices in the United States and Canada being 0.9% and 1.5% higher respectively.

American residents made fewer than 800,000 overnight pleasure trips to Canada in the first quarter, a 10.9% drop compared with the same period last year. While the number of business trips increased 7.6% to 440,000, overnight trips for visiting friends and relatives declined 3.4% on a year-over-year basis.

American tourists spent an estimated $915 million in Canada, down 5.0% from the first quarter of 2006.

Travel to the US: Heading for the sun

In the first quarter, overnight travel to the United States rose to its highest first-quarter level since 1993. Canadian residents took about 3.7 million trips south of the border, up 4.8% from the same period in the previous year.

First-quarter Canadian overnight travel to the United States increased for the fourth consecutive year. Contrary to this upward trend, however, the Canadian dollar was valued at 85.4 US cents in the first quarter of 2007, down 1.5% compared with the same quarter in 2006.

Florida continued to be the most visited state as Canadians took over 1 million overnight visits to the Sunshine State in the first quarter. Southern states proved to be popular destinations, with both Florida and California recording strong increases of 14.2% and 13.7% respectively compared with the same quarter in 2006. However, Canadian tourists made 10.3% fewer visits to Arizona.

Pleasure trips, which accounted for 58.7% of overnight Canadian travel to the United States, rose 9.2% from the first quarter of 2006. During the same period, the number of business trips increased 2.2%, while trips to visit friends and relatives posted a more modest 0.4% gain compared with the first quarter of 2006.

Although the price of gasoline continued to rise, overnight car trips by Canadians to the United States increased 5.6% from the first quarter of 2006 to over 1.8 million.

Even though new passport requirements for Canadians entering the United States by airplane came into effect in January 2007, the number of overnight trips taken by air rose 4.7%. Canadians took 1.7 million overnight plane trips to the United States. It was the highest figure ever recorded for a first quarter.

About 26.6% of all overnight plane trips by Canadians to the United States in the first quarter were for business purposes.

Canadian spending in the United States rose 5.0% to about $3.1 billion.

Canadians travel overseas in record numbers

Canadians continued to travel to overseas destinations, setting yet another record for trips to overseas destinations between January and March.

Canadian residents made nearly 2.5 million overnight trips to overseas countries during the first three months of 2007. It was a first-quarter record, up 11.4% from the same quarter in 2006 when the previous record was set.

A sunspot was the most popular type of destination for Canadian residents in the first quarter. The top three most visited overseas countries for Canadians were Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Over half a million overnight visits were made to Mexico alone, an increase of 24.6% from the first quarter of 2006. Visits to the Dominican Republic and Cuba rose 34.1% and 9.8% respectively compared with the same period in 2006, as nearly 400,000 overnight visits were made to each country.

Overall, travel to Central America rose 31.7%, while travel to the Caribbean increased 17.7% in the first quarter compared with the same period in 2006.

Travel to Europe, however, dropped 14.7% over the same time period. This was also the second consecutive year in which travel to Europe declined in the first quarter. This is perhaps a reflection of the 9.5% decrease in the value of the Canadian dollar against the euro in the first quarter.

During their trips to overseas countries, Canadians spent an estimated $3.0 billion, a 7.3% increase from the first three months of 2006 and a new record for a first quarter of the year.

More overseas visitors come to Canada

Just as travel by Canadians to overseas countries increased in the first quarter, so did the number of overseas trips to Canada.

Overseas tourists took an estimated 663,000 overnight trips to Canada between January and March 2007, up 7.2% compared with the same period in 2006.

The United Kingdom remained the top overseas country of origin, as its residents made 141,000 overnight trips to Canada. France ranked second with 58,000 tourists coming to Canada.

Overall, overseas residents spent an estimated $930 million on overnight trips in Canada, up 6.4% from the first quarter of 2006.

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 preliminary first quarter 2007 data as well as revised 2006 data are now available on request.

Data on characteristics of international travellers for the second quarter will be released on November 28.

To obtain one or more of these products, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-800-307-3382; 613-951-9169; fax: 613-951-2909; tourism@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; frances.kremarik@statcan.gc.ca), Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics.

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