Characteristics of international overnight travellers

Pleasure trips to Canada by foreign residents declined in the fourth quarter compared with the same quarter of 2008. This coincided with an increased number of Canadian residents' pleasure trips outside their own country.

A 24.3% year-over-year drop in the number of overnight pleasure trips to Canada by overseas residents was partially offset by an 11.3% increase in business trips.

Overall, 8 of Canada's top 10 overseas markets for visitors recorded declines in both overnight trips and spending. Trips by residents of the United Kingdom to Canada fell 10.1% from the fourth quarter of 2008, while trips from Japanese residents were down 18.9%. Spending by these visitors fell at an even faster rate.

Overnight pleasure trips to Canada by residents of the United States fell 10.4%, while trips to visit friends and relatives declined by 2.2%.

In the fourth quarter, 7 of the top 10 states of origin in the United States recorded declines in overnight trips to Canada. The largest drops occurred in four northern states: New York (-11.6%), Michigan (-13.0%), Ohio (-18.4%) and Pennsylvania (-16.6%). However, travel by residents of two West Coast states increased: Washington (+1.7%) and California (+2.0%).

In the opposite direction, Canadians made just over 2.0 million overnight pleasure trips to the United States, up 4.8% from the fourth quarter of 2008. Similarly, Canadian pleasure trips to other countries increased 4.4% to over 1.1 million trips.

However, business travel declined in both cases. Overnight trips by Canadian residents to visit friends and relatives increased to the United States but declined for overseas destinations.

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 fourth quarter of 2009 data are now available on request.

Data on characteristics of international overnight travellers for the first quarter will be released on August 26.

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.