Characteristics of international travellers

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Travel into Canada from both the United States and overseas countries fell in the fourth quarter of 2008, as the global economic downturn took hold.

The number of overnight trips from the United States dropped to 2.2 million, a 5.9% decline from the fourth quarter of 2007. This was the lowest level recorded since 1996. There were sharp declines in American travel for both business purposes and pleasure.

Overnight travel from countries other than the United States fell for the first time in the fourth quarter since 2003. Overseas visitors made just over 792,000 overnight trips to Canada, down 3.4%.

In the opposite direction, Canadians made fewer overnight trips to the United States in the fourth quarter. However, Canadians made more overnight trips to countries other than the United States during the quarter.

Fewer Americans coming to Canada

American travellers spent about $1.1 billion in Canada in the fourth quarter of 2008, down 1.8% from the same quarter in 2007.

Americans took 984,000 overnight trips to Canada for pleasure, a 9.7% decrease. Business travel was down by 5.2%.

Travel by air fell 4.6%, although spending by Americans who flew to Canada rose 1.9%.

Among the top 10 states of origin, 8 recorded declines in overnight trips to Canada in the fourth quarter of 2008. Travel increased from only Texas and Massachusetts. The largest declines occurred in travel from Washington, which was down 17.6% and Michigan (-15.1%).

Overseas travel declined

The decline in overseas trips to Canada was largely attributable to a decrease in pleasure trips, which fell by 12.0% from the fourth quarter of 2007. The number of business trips was up 3.8%.

Overseas tourists spent $1.0 billion on overnight travel in Canada, down 6.1% from the fourth quarter of 2007.

Among the top 10 overseas markets, 6 recorded declines in the number of overnight trips to Canada. The most important declines occurred in travel from South Korea (-25.4%), Japan (-20.1%) and the United Kingdom (-14.7%).

Overnight travel from Japan reached its lowest level since 1987. Travel from South Korea was at its lowest since 2001, while trips from the United Kingdom hit their lowest level since 2003.

Canadians decrease travel to United States

Canadians took just under 3.8 million overnight trips to the United States in the fourth quarter of 2008, down 9.6% from the same quarter a year earlier.

The number of overnight auto trips declined 15.0%, while travel by air was down by 0.8%.

Business travel fell 16.6%, while overnight travel to visit friends and relatives dropped 16.1%. More than half of all overnight trips to the United States were for pleasure. The number of these trips declined by 2.4%.

Canadian travel increased for just 3 of the top 10 destination states in the fourth quarter: Nevada (+12.0%), Florida (+2.3%) and California (+0.2%). The states with the largest decreases were Washington (-20.6%) and Maine (-18.1%).

Canadians continue to travel overseas

Canadians took 1.7 million overnight trips to countries other than the United States in the fourth quarter of 2008, up 9.1% from the same quarter of 2007. This was a continuation of an upward trend that started in 2001. Canadians spent $2.4 billion on these trips, up 3.4%.

Among the 10 most popular countries, Canadian travel overseas rose during the fourth quarter to all countries except Italy, China and the Netherlands. The largest increases were in travel to Greece (+33.3%), Cuba (+25.5%) and the Dominican Republic (+23.3%).

Annual 2008

On an annual basis, the number of overnight trips from the United States to Canada declined by 6.6% from 2007 to just under 12.5 million in 2008. On the other hand, travel from countries other than the United States was up 1.8%.

In the opposite direction, Canadians took more overnight trips abroad to both the United States and overseas nations. Overnight travel to the United States was up 6.5%, while overseas travel rose 9.7%.

Canadians visited Mexico more often than any other overseas country in 2008. The number of overnight visits to Mexico rose 10.7% to 1.1 million. Overnight travel to the second most popular overseas market, the United Kingdom, was up 7.5%.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3152.

This release summarises data now available from the International Travel Survey. Tables, various statistical profiles and microdata files of characteristics of international travellers using revised third quarter 2008 data as well as the preliminary fourth quarter 2008 and preliminary full year 2008 data are now available on request.

Data on characteristics of international travellers for the first quarter 2009 will be released on August 27.

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 Paul Durk (613-951-5859; fax: 613-951-2909; paul.durk@statcan.gc.ca), Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.