Travel between Canada and other countries, September 2012

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Canadian travel to destinations abroad increased across the board in September, while travel to Canada from abroad declined.

In total, Canadian residents took 5.6 million trips to the United States and overseas countries combined, up 2.9% from August.

Overnight travel accounted for almost half of this total, totalling 2.8 million trips, the highest figure since record-keeping began in 1972.

Canadian residents took 4.8 million trips to the United States, up 3.1% from August, as both overnight travel and same-day car travel increased.

Overnight car travel to the United States rose 3.6%, while overnight trips by plane increased 0.9%.

Canadian residents made 2.8 million same-day car trips to the United States in September, a 3.5% increase.

Travel from Canada to overseas countries continued its upward trend, rising 2.0% to 809,000 trips.

In the opposite direction, total travel to Canada fell 0.9% to 2.1 million trips in September.

American residents made 1.7 million trips to Canada in September, down 0.9%, while overseas residents made 372,000 trips, also down 0.9%.

The number of overnight car trips from the United States was down 2.1%, the largest decrease among overnight travel. Same-day car travel from the United States declined 0.7% to 621,000 trips.

Among the top 12 overseas markets, 6 recorded decreases in travel to Canada in September. The largest percentage decreases were in travel from China (-8.3%) and Switzerland (-6.7%).

Travel from Italy and Australia recorded the strongest gains at 8.5% and 5.0% respectively

Note to readers

Monthly data are seasonally adjusted. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonal adjustment and identifying economic trends.

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

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

The September 2012 issue of International Travel: Advance Information, Vol. 28, no. 9 (Catalogue number66-001-P, free), is now available from the Key resource module of our website under Publications.

For more information, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; infostats@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.