Characteristics of international travellers

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Canadians set a new record for overnight trips abroad in 2007, surpassing the 25-million mark for the first time. In the opposite direction, however, Americans took fewer trips to Canada last year, and spent less as well.

In total, Canadians took an estimated 25.2 million overnight trips in 2007, spending a record $22.5 billion in the process.

Of these trips, a record high 7.4 million, or 29%, were to destinations other than the United States. This was a 9.9% gain from 2006 and the fifth consecutive annual increase. Canadians spent a record $10.9 billion on these trips.

Overnight travel to the United States, which comprised the remaining 71% of trips abroad, rose to its highest level since 1992.

In the opposite direction, Americans took fewer trips to Canada in 2007 and spent less as well. Travel from overseas nations, however, increased for the fourth consecutive year.

Travel increased to every overseas region in 2007, except South America and Oceania, which recorded negligible declines.

On a regional basis, European countries were still the most popular destinations, accounting for over 4.2 million overnight country visits in 2007. The Caribbean countries were second, with more than 1.8 million.

On a nation-by-nation basis, Canadian tourists took over 1 million overnight visits to Mexico, up 20.9% from 2006. This was the second straight year that Mexico was the most visited overseas country by Canadian tourists.

Travel to the United Kingdom rose 22.2% with Canadians making an estimated 951,000 overnight visits. This follows a 13.3% decline during 2006, which coincided with the major security threat at London's Heathrow Airport in August 2006.

Mexico and the United Kingdom were followed by France, Cuba and the Dominican Republic in that order.

Visits to the Dominican Republic jumped 28.6%, the fastest increase among the top 10 overseas countries visited by Canadians. All 10 recorded increases in Canadian travel in 2007 compared with the previous year.

Top 10 overseas countries visited by Canadian residents
	2006r	2007p	2006 to 2007
	overnight visits (thousands)		% change
Mexico	841	1,017	20.9
United Kingdom	778	951	22.2
France	645	746	15.7
Cuba	638	723	13.3
Dominican Republic	536	690	28.6
Germany	334	371	11.3
Italy	315	327	3.7
Netherlands	239	259	8.1
China	250	257	2.6
Spain	182	189	4.0
r revised p preliminary

Travel to the United States highest in 15 years

Overnight travel by Canadians to the United States rose 11.1% to 17.8 million trips in 2007, the highest level since 1992. In doing so, Canadians spent an estimated $11.6 billion, up 13.1% from 2006.

New York State remained the most popular overnight destination for Canadians, who made nearly 3 million visits to the state, up 14.4%. They spent an estimated $919 million, a 19.6% increase.

However, Canadians continued to spend more in Florida than in any other state, about $2.8 billion in 2007, up 18.6% from 2006. Florida was also the second most popular state, as Canadians took about 2.5 million overnight visits there in 2007.

North Dakota witnessed a significant increase in overnight visits by Canadian residents (+25.9%), as well as in expenditures while on these trips (+51.1%). The majority of this increase occurred in the fourth quarter when the Canadian dollar averaged above parity with its US counterpart.

Overnight travel to the United States rose in every major trip purpose and transportation category in 2007. Travel for pleasure remained the most popular reason for overnight travel by Canadians to the United States with 10.1 million trips, up 12.3%. Travel by car, still the most popular mode for overnight travel, accounted for 59.7% of all trips. It was up 14.1% from 2006.

Fewer Americans heading north

In contrast, Americans took fewer trips to Canada and spent less as well. Overnight travel from the United States to Canada fell 3.5% to only 13.4 million trips. US tourists spent about $7.1 billion, down 3.0%.

Among the top 10 states of origin, 7 recorded declines in overnight trips to Canada. The largest occurred in travel from California (-11.2%), Minnesota (-8.9%) and Michigan (-7.8%).

New York, Michigan and Washington remained the top three states of origin for overnight visitors to Canada, although travel from each declined. The number of trips taken by Illinois residents to Canada in 2007 rose 12.1%, the largest percentage gain among the top 10 states of origin. The number of trips taken by Illinois residents to Canada had declined 10.8% in 2006.

Overnight travel from the United States by automobile fell 4.3% in 2007, while overnight air travel dropped 2.7%.

US residents took almost 2.6 million trips to Canada to visit friends and relatives, down 5.8% from 2006. The largest category, pleasure trips, also declined 2.2% to 7.8 million trips. Business travel to Canada edged up 0.2%.

The Canadian dollar averaged 93.1 US cents in 2007 compared with 88.2 US cents in 2006, a 5.6% increase.

Overseas travel to Canada continues to rise

Travel from overseas nations into Canada rose for the fourth straight year.

The number of overnight trips to Canada from countries other than the United States increased 2.9% to almost 4.4 million. Overseas tourists also spent an estimated $6.0 billion on these trips, up 3.9% from 2006.

The United Kingdom retained its status as the most important overseas market for Canada in 2007 with 891,000 trips, up 5.9%.

Only 4 of the top 12 overseas markets recorded declines in the number of trips to Canada, with travel from Japan recording the largest decline (-14.7%). This was the lowest level for the Japanese market since 2003, which coincided with the height of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) crisis.

Australia recorded the largest increase among Canada's top 12 overseas markets (+16.7%) as 208,000 Australians came to Canada on overnight trips.

Fourth quarter 2007: Record Canadian travel overseas

On a quarterly basis, Canadian residents took 1.5 million overnight trips to overseas countries in the fourth quarter of 2007, a record for the last three months of any year. This was up 11.5% from the fourth quarter of 2006. It was also the sixth consecutive year in which a fourth-quarter record was set.

Overseas residents took 820,000 overnight trips to Canada, a 3.8% increase from the same quarter in 2006. They spent an estimated $1.1 billion here, up 7.3%.

American residents took 2.4 million overnight trips to Canada, a 2.8% decrease. Their spending also declined 4.7% to $1.1 billion.

Canadians took nearly 4.2 million overnight trips to the United States in the final three months of 2007, up 22.9%. They also spent an estimated $2.6 billion, a 21.3% gain.

While the Canadian dollar had an annual value of 93.1 US cents in 2007, during the fourth quarter, the Canadian dollar had an average value of US $1.02, slightly above parity.

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 revised third quarter 2007 data, as well as the preliminary fourth quarter 2007 and preliminary full year 2007 data, are now available on request.

Data on characteristics of international travellers for the first quarter 2008 will be released on August 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), Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics.

Table(s).