Characteristics of international travellers

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Canadians continued to head out of the country between April and June 2007, setting a new record for overnight trips abroad. This was the third consecutive year that a new record was established during the second quarter.

Overnight travel to the United States rose for the fourth consecutive second quarter on a year-over-year basis, coinciding with an increase in the Canadian dollar. This was the highest second quarter for overnight travel to the United States by Canadian residents since 1993. At the same time, second-quarter travel to overseas nations hit a record level for the fourth straight year.

Overnight travel to Canada by overseas visitors remained steady compared with the second quarter of 2006. However, the number of overnight trips to Canada by American residents declined.

Travel to the United States: New York, Florida most popular states

Canadian residents took an estimated 4.1 million overnight trips to the United States between April and June, up 5.3% from the same three months in 2006.

Canadians continued to visit New York State more than any other American state. An estimated 703,000 overnight visits were made to the Empire State, up 7.0% from the second quarter in 2006.

There were about 611,000 overnight visits by Canadian tourists to Florida between April and June, an 8.1% gain from the same period in 2006.

Each of the top 10 most visited states recorded more overnight Canadian visitors than in 2006. The largest increases were to Vermont (+21.9%), Maine (+17.7%) and Ohio (+15.5%). These states also experienced concurrent double-digit gains in expenditures by Canadians, with an increase of 22.5% in Vermont, 28.2% in Maine and 27.3% in Ohio.

Pleasure trips, which accounted for 56.1% of overnight Canadian travel to the United States, rose 6.0% from the second quarter of 2006. The number of business trips, however, jumped 9.4% to 675,000. The number of trips to visit friends and relatives increased a more modest 1.5%.

Overnight trips by both plane and automobile increased 5.5% in the second quarter of 2007. Overnight trips by other modes of transportation also rose during the same period.

Spending by Canadians in the United States rose 8.8% to over $3.1 billion. Average spending per overnight trip also increased, rising from $740 to $765.

In relation to its US counterpart, the Canadian dollar was only 2 US cents higher in the second quarter of 2007 than in the same period in 2006. The dollar's second-quarter average of 91.1 US cents was, however, nearly 6 US cents higher than the average in the first quarter of 2007.

Canadians travelling overseas in record numbers

Canadians set a new record for second quarter travel to overseas nations as about 1.7 million overnight visits were taken by residents during the second quarter. This was an 8.5% increase from the same quarter in 2006, when the previous record was set.

The top three overseas destinations for Canadians making overnight visits were the United Kingdom, Cuba and France. Every country in the top 10 witnessed double-digit increases except for China, which experienced a 9.3% decline. This decline follows a record-setting second quarter for the country in 2006.

Among the top 10, the largest increases were witnessed by the Dominican Republic (+26.8%), Ireland (+24.4%) and the United Kingdom (+23.5%).

Not only did Canadians travel more in overseas countries, they also spent more on their overnight trips: nearly $2.7 billion, up 13.4% from the second quarter in 2006.

More overseas visitors coming to Canada

Although Canadians were travelling in record numbers overseas, the number of overseas visitors taking overnight trips to Canada was up a modest 0.5% in the second quarter of 2007.

The estimated number of overnight trips by overseas tourists to Canada neared the 1.2-million mark between April and June. This was the fourth straight year of increases for the second quarter. The last decline was in 2003 at the height of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis.

Despite a 1.6% decline in visits, the United Kingdom remained the top overseas country of origin, with 230,000 overnight trips to Canada. Japan remained in second spot with 79,000 overnight trips, although this was a 16.6% drop from 2006, the largest decline among the top 10 overseas countries of origin. Overall, the number of visitors from Asia decreased 4.2%, the only world region to record a decline in the second quarter of 2007.

Rounding out the top five overseas countries of origin of visitors to Canada were Germany, France and Australia.

Overall, overseas residents spent an estimated $1.5 billion on overnight trips in Canada, up 1.7% from the second quarter of 2006.

Fewer American visitors coming to Canada

An estimated 3.6 million overnight trips were taken by US residents to Canada during the second quarter of 2007, a 2.4% decline from the same period in 2006.

While the car remained the most popular method of travel for overnight trips to Canada, 3.7% fewer trips were made by automobile. Nonetheless, about 2.1 million trips, or 57.9% of all overnight trips from the United States, were made by car.

Overnight travel from the United States increased in two categories. Both business and pleasure trips saw increases of 0.9% and 1.5%, respectively. Americans, however, took 10.0% fewer trips to visit friends and relatives in Canada, as only 622,000 crossed the border for that reason.

Among the top 10 states of origin for overnight travel to Canada, only three states recorded year-over-year increases in the second quarter. New York remained the top state of origin for overnight visitors, although only 403,000 trips were taken to Canada, a 12.7% decline from 2006.

Texas recorded the largest gain (+15.2%), while Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Michigan all recorded double-digit declines.

Along with the decrease in the number of overnight trips to Canada, US residents spent an estimated $1.9 billion in Canada, down 1.2% from the second 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 second quarter 2007 data and revised first quarter 2007 data are now available on request.

Data on characteristics of international travellers for the third quarter 2007 will be released on February 28, 2008.

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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