Travel between Canada and other countries

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Travel by Canadian residents to the United States and other countries increased in March compared with February. Travel to Canada by residents of overseas countries also increased while travel by US residents declined.

Canadian residents took 4.0 million trips to the United States in March, edging up 0.1% from February. Same-day car travel to the United States increased 0.4% from February to 2.3 million trips. At the same time, overall overnight travel by Canadians to the United States was down 0.4%. The number of overnight car trips to the United States declined 2.0% in March while overnight plane travel increased 2.4%. Canadian residents took 602,000 overnight plane trips to the United States in March, the highest level on record.

Canadian residents took 739,000 overnight trips to overseas countries, up 0.8% from February.

Travel by United States residents to Canada declined 1.6% to 1.6 million trips in March. Although overnight travel by US residents to Canada was down 1.2% in March compared with February, overnight plane travel was up 4.2%.

Overnight car travel was down 3.6% to 525,000 trips while same-day car travel by US residents to Canada decreased 2.4% to 545,000 trips. These are the lowest levels recorded since record-keeping began in 1972.

During March, the Canadian dollar rose 1.1% to an average monthly value of $US 1.02, the highest level since November 2007. The average price of gasoline in the United States increased 10.9% from February to March to $3.56 per gallon, the highest level since September 2008.

Overseas residents took 353,000 overnight trips to Canada in March, up 2.9% from February.

In March, 8 of Canada's top 12 overseas markets recorded increases. Travel by residents of Mexico rose 19.2%, the largest advance among the top overseas markets. The largest decrease was in travel by residents of Japan, down 25.9% in March from February, in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami of March 11.

Note: Monthly data are seasonally adjusted.

Available on CANSIM: tables 427-0001 to 427-0006.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5005.

The March 2011 issue of International Travel, Advance Information, Vol. 27, no. 3 (66-001-P, free), is now available from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.

For general information, 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 Frances Kremarik (613-951-4240; frances.kremarik@statcan.gc.ca), Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.