Characteristics of international overnight travellers

Business travel was the hardest hit segment in the third quarter. Compared with the third quarter of 2008, the number of overnight business trips to Canada declined 13.5%, whereas those from Canada decreased 16.9%.

Overnight business travel to Canada from the United States fell 10.5% to 468,000 trips in the third quarter, while business travel from overseas countries dropped 21.3% to 155,000 trips.

In the opposite direction, overnight business travel to the United States fell by 16.0%, while it was down 19.4% to overseas destinations.

All 10 of Canada's top overseas markets recorded declines in both the number of overnight trips and spending.

The number of overnight trips in Canada by residents of the United Kingdom, Canada's largest overseas market, declined by 19.8% on a year-over-year basis to 260,000 trips, with a corresponding decrease in spending of 24.6%.

Mexican residents took 54,000 trips to Canada in the third quarter, down 46.5% from the same period last year, the largest decline among Canada's top 10 overseas markets. These travellers spent 49.4% less compared with the third quarter of 2008.

Overall, 7 of the top 10 states of origin in the United States recorded declines in overnight trips to Canada. New York continued to be the top state of origin as residents made 660,000 trips to Canada in the third quarter, down 7.3% from the same quarter in 2008, while their spending fell by 9.1%. Washington State surpassed Michigan as the second most common state of origin.

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, based on preliminary data for the third quarter of 2009, are now available on request.

Data on the characteristics of international travellers for the fourth quarter of 2009 will be released on May 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). For more information, or 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), Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.