Travel between Canada and other countries, March 2012

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Canadian travel abroad declined 1.5% to 5.2 million trips in March compared with February. While overnight travel abroad increased, fewer same-day car trips to the United States resulted in an overall decrease.

In total, Canadians made 2.6 million overnight trips outside the country in March, a 0.8% increase from February, and the highest monthly level since record keeping began in 1972.

Overnight travel to the United States rose 0.7% from February as Canadian residents made 1.8 million overnight trips to that country. It was also the highest level since record keeping began.

The 3.6% decline in same-day car trips to the United States more than offset the increase in overnight trips.

Canadians made 790,000 trips to overseas countries in March, a 1.0% increase from February.

In the opposite direction, travel from the United States to Canada fell 2.1% to 1.6 million trips.

Overnight travel from the United States to Canada was down in all transportation modes, with overnight car travel declining 1.8% and overnight plane travel decreasing 1.4%.

US residents made 578,000 same-day car trips in March, a 3.0% decrease from February.

Travel by overseas residents to Canada rose 3.0% to 407,000 trips, the highest level since May 2008.

Travel to Canada rose in almost all of the top overseas markets in March. Travel from China increased 9.3% to 22,000 trips. Travel from South Korea declined 16.2%, the only decrease among Canada's top overseas markets.

Note to readers

Monthly data are seasonally adjusted.

Available without charge in CANSIM: tables CANSIM table427-0001 to 427-0006.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number survey number5005.

The March 2012 issue of International Travel, Advance Information, Vol. 28, no. 3 (Catalogue number66-001-P, free), is now available from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.

For more information, contact Statistics Canada's National Contact Centre (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 613-951-8116; infostats@statcan.gc.ca).

To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Lotfi Chahdi (613-951-3136; lotfi.chahdi@statcan.gc.ca), Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.