Visitor Travel Survey, first quarter 2022

Released: 2022-08-26

Highlights

Spending in Canada by international travellers totalled $1.2 billion in the first quarter, up from $270 million during the same quarter of 2021. This increase in expenditures signals continued recovery in inbound travel, which had declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first quarter, US residents visiting Canada spent roughly six times as much ($535.3 million) as during the first quarter of 2021 ($89.0 million).

Likewise, travellers coming to Canada in the first quarter from overseas (countries other than the United States) spent over three and a half times as much in Canada ($656.7 million) as during the same quarter of 2021 ($180.8 million).

More recent data on international travel to Canada are available from the monthly "Travel between Canada and other countries."

Border restrictions impact travellers

During the first quarter, international travellers seeking to travel to Canada initially encountered renewed COVID-19 restrictions in the wake of the Omicron variant. Many Canadian provinces delayed reopening plans and restricted in-person gatherings and large-scale events.

In mid-February, tourism activity gained new traction as the Government of Canada announced a phased easing of travel requirements. By the end of the same month, international passenger flights were once again permitted to land at all international Canadian airports.

Additionally, Canadian tourism activity was once again on the road to recovery by the end of the first quarter, with many provincial restrictions being eased.

Increased spending by US travellers

US residents spent $535.3 million while travelling in Canada in the first quarter, up from $89.0 million during the same quarter of 2021. Spending by US residents was concentrated in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta, together accounting for 93.8% of total expenditures.

The major expense categories for US travellers included accommodation (40.4%), food and beverages (23.8%), and transportation within Canada (17.9%). These three expense items accounted for over 8 out of every 10 dollars spent in Canada by US travellers during the first quarter.

Spending by US residents on recreation and entertainment jumped to $60.4 million in the first quarter, up from $2.6 million during the first quarter of 2021. This was partially due to changes in COVID-19 restrictions that allowed for participation in more tourism activities.

Spending by overseas travellers soars

During the first quarter, residents of overseas countries spent $656.7 million in Canada, up from $180.8 million during the same quarter of 2021. Overseas residents spent 92.0% of this amount in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta.

Residents from Asia and Oceania represented almost half (49.0%) of all spending by overseas travellers during the first quarter.

Of total spending by overseas visitors, accommodation (35.4%) was the largest expense category, followed by food and beverages (31.7%), transportation within Canada (14.0%), and recreation and entertainment (9.5%).

Chart 1 
Total travel expenditures by international travellers, by province and territory, first quarter 2022

Limitations in data production and future plans

Due to the pandemic, all Visitor Travel Survey (VTS) collection was suspended in March 2020, and estimates for subsequent quarters have been produced using alternative methods. Expenditure estimates were derived using growth rates from relevant administrative datasets and previous VTS results. In the absence of survey data from travellers, some variables or levels of detail are not available, particularly the characteristics of travellers. Statistics Canada is currently working on ways to restart the collection of some characteristics data.

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; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).