Leading indicator of international arrivals to Canada, April 2021
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Released: 2021-05-11
Highlights
April saw the number of international arrivals to Canada by land and air increase from the previous year but remain historically low.
United States residents made 55,200 trips to Canada through land ports with electronic sensors in April. Although this was almost twice the number of arrivals compared with April 2020, it was down 93.9% from April 2019. Likewise, 184,700 Canadians returned from the United States through these same ports, which was over one-and-a-half times higher year over year, but still down 91.4% from the same month in 2019.
It was a similar story in the air. There were more than twice as many non-residents arriving from abroad in Canadian airports equipped with electronic kiosks during April compared with April 2020, yet they were still down 96.5% from April 2019. Meanwhile, the number of Canadian residents returning from abroad through these same airports was almost twice the number in April 2020, but 96.5% below the same month in 2019.
This release provides a first glimpse of international arrivals to Canada in April. Complete counts will be available with April's "Travel between Canada and other countries" release.
Over one year of restrictions
Existing restrictions on non-essential travel across the Canada–US border were extended on April 20, 2021, for another 30 days. Additional travel requirements for international air travellers—testing upon arrival with a hotel stopover—have been implemented by the federal government since February.
Non-resident arrivals by air
Air arrivals of non-residents from abroad—overseas countries (14,400) and the United States (3,000)—at Canadian airports equipped with Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIKs) numbered 17,400 in April, up from 7,500 in April 2020. Despite this jump, this is still down 96.5% from the 494,400 arrivals from the same month in 2019.
Infographic 1
Non-resident air travellers arriving in Canada, April 2019, 2020 and 2021
Non-resident arrivals by car
In April, United States residents took 55,200 trips to Canada in US-licensed automobiles through 111 land ports equipped with the automated Integrated Primary Inspection Line (IPIL) system, almost twice the 28,100 trips taken in April 2020. However, this is down 93.9% from the 900,300 United States arrivals by car in April 2019.
Infographic 2
United States residents entering Canada in US-licensed automobiles, April 2019, 2020 and 2021
Canadians returning by air
The number of Canadian residents flying back from abroad in April through airports equipped with PIKs was 41,300. Even with new requirements for testing in effect, the April average daily volume of 1,376 was up from 1,065 in March and 760 per day in April 2020.
For comparison, there was an average of over 39,000 Canadians flying home from abroad each day in April 2019.
Infographic 3
Canadian residents returning by air from abroad, April 2019, 2020 and 2021
Canadians returning by car
In April, there were 184,700 Canadian residents who returned from the United States in Canadian-licensed automobiles via the 111 IPIL ports. While this is more than the 105,000 recorded in April 2020, it is still down 91.4% from the 2.2 million who drove back across the border during the same month in 2019.
Infographic 4
Canadian residents returning from the United States in Canadian-licensed automobiles, April 2019, 2020 and 2021
Note to readers
This indicator uses administrative data from the Canada Border Services Agency on international travellers entering the country by automobile and by air.
Counts of cross-border travel by automobile through 111 land ports equipped with the automated Integrated Primary Inspection Line (IPIL) system are available by the traveller's state or province of residence—based on the automobile licence plate—and by the province of entry into Canada.
The IPIL data are a subset of Canadian and United States residents entering Canada by automobile and exclude some crossings. In 2020, the 111 IPIL ports captured approximately 80% of cross-border automobile traffic between Canada and the United States.
Counts of travellers entering the country by air are taken from the Primary Inspection Kiosk (PIK) system, and are available by the traveller's country of residence and airports equipped with PIKs.
The PIK leading indicator is a subset of travellers entering Canada by air, capturing approximately 59% of international arrivals. It excludes Terminal 1 at Toronto/Pearson International Airport, where PIKs have not been fully deployed. Users are cautioned that the phased deployment will affect historical comparability.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
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