International travel account, third quarter 2012

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Canada's international travel deficit with the world decreased by $82 million to $4.6 billion during the third quarter. This was the result of two main factors: lower payments by Canadian travellers to the United States and increased receipts from overseas travellers in Canada.

Canadian travellers spent just under $9.0 billion outside the country during the third quarter, down 0.5% from the second quarter. This was the second-highest level of payments by Canadian travellers, surpassed by the amount in the previous quarter.

At the same time, receipts from foreign travellers in Canada increased 0.9% to $4.3 billion.

Chart description: Canada's international travel deficit decreases, third quarter 2012

CSV version of chart 1

Travel deficit with the United States declines

Canada's travel deficit with the United States decreased by $35 million to $3.8 billion in the third quarter. This decline was mainly the result of a 1.1% decrease in payments by Canadian travellers in the United States, who spent just under $5.6 billion. This was the second-highest level of payments by Canadians in the United States, just short of the record high in the previous quarter.

The decrease in payments coincided with a 2.2% increase in travel by Canadian residents to the United States, which reached 14.0 million trips, the highest quarterly level since 1994. Travel to the United States by Canadian residents increased in the third quarter in all transportation categories.

Receipts from American travellers in Canada amounted to $1.8 billion, down 1.5% from the previous quarter. During the same period, the number of trips by Americans to Canada decreased 2.2%.

Receipts from overseas travellers to Canada continue on upward trend

Canada's travel deficit with overseas countries decreased by $47 million to $851 million in the third quarter.

Receipts from overseas travellers to Canada increased 2.7% to $2.5 billion to reach an all-time high, even though overseas travellers made 1.1 million trips to Canada, a 1.3% decline.

At the same time, payments by Canadian travellers in overseas countries rose 0.5% to $3.4 billion, despite Canadians having made 2.4 million trips overseas, down 0.2%.

Overseas travellers are consistently the main contributor to overall travel receipts in Canada. Even though overseas travellers represented 17.9% of all travellers to Canada, they accounted for 57.3% of total receipts.