Travel between Canada and other countries, February 2012

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Canadian residents made 5.2 million trips abroad in February, a 3.9% increase from January. The majority of these trips, 4.4 million, were to the United States, a 4.5% increase.

The main factor behind these gains was an 8.0% increase in same-day car travel by Canadians to the United States, to 2.6 million trips. This was the highest monthly level since December 1997.

Overnight travel by Canadians to the United States fell 0.4% to 1.8 million trips in February. Overnight plane travel decreased 0.9% to 635,000 trips, while overnight car travel was unchanged.

Travel by Canadians to overseas countries was up 0.4% to 780,000 trips.

In the opposite direction, travel by residents from abroad to Canada rose 0.6% in February to 2.1 million trips.

Same-day car travel by United States residents to Canada increased 3.0% to 601,000 trips.

The number of overnight trips was unchanged at 986,000. Overnight car travel from the United States to Canada declined 0.1% to 562,000 trips. Overnight plane travel was up 0.1% to 300,000 trips.

Residents of countries other than the United States made 391,000 trips to Canada, practically unchanged from January.

Of Canada's top 12 overseas markets, 7 recorded an increase in trips to Canada. The United Kingdom remained Canada's number one overseas market, followed by France and Germany.

The number of trips by residents of China fell 20.5% to 20,000, from a record high of 25,000 in January.