Travel between Canada and other countries, August 2024

Released: 2024-10-22

Highlights

In August, US residents took 3.2 million trips to Canada, and residents of overseas countries took 811,200 trips. The number of non-resident arrivals (US-resident and overseas-resident arrivals combined) in Canada represented 86.9% of the number observed in August 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In August 2024, Canadian residents returned from 5.3 million trips abroad, which represented 90.2% of the level recorded in August 2019.

Using seasonally adjusted data, on a month-to-month basis, there was a decline of 0.2% of non-resident arrivals in Canada in August 2024. Similarly, returning Canadian-resident arrivals declined by 0.3% in August compared with the previous month.

To further explore current and historical data in an interactive format, please visit the Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard.

Trips to Canada by US residents

In August, US residents took 3.2 million trips to Canada, up 12.7% from the same month in 2023. The number of trips recorded in August 2024 corresponded to 90.0% of the level observed in August 2019, before the pandemic.

In August 2024, 63.3% of US residents visiting Canada arrived by automobile, and 41.2% of those arrivals were same-day trips. Arrivals by automobile were up 13.1% year over year and represented 83.4% of such trips recorded in August 2019. US residents also took trips crossing over Canadian land borders in August 2024 by other means, such as by bus (87,700), by train (27,400), or as pedestrians (21,000).

Air arrivals (658,800) made up 20.6% of all trips to Canada taken by US residents in August. Those arrivals increased by 17.4% from the same month in 2023 and represented 98.8% of the number of trips taken in August 2019.

Additionally, 309,000 trips to Canada by US residents were taken on a cruise ship or other commercial boat in August 2024, up 8.6% year over year and exceeding such trips taken in August 2019 by 47.3%.

In August 2024, the most frequented points of entry by US residents entering Canada by automobile were near Niagara (including Niagara Falls and Fort Erie), near Vancouver (including Douglas and Pacific Highway in Surrey), and in Southwestern Ontario (including Windsor and Sarnia). Together, these were the points of entry for 66.0% of all such trips.

In August, the busiest points of entry by air were in Toronto (including Toronto Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport), Vancouver, Montréal, and Calgary. Combined, these points of entry represented 89.5% of all US-resident arrivals in Canada by air during the month.

Trips to Canada by overseas residents

In August, 811,200 overseas residents arrived in Canada, an increase of 5.2% compared to the same month in 2023. The number of overseas-resident arrivals in Canada in August 2024 accounted for 76.5% of the 1.1 million arrivals recorded in the same month in 2019. Nearly three-quarters (73.1%) of the overseas residents arriving in August 2024 flew into Canada (592,800 arrivals).

Together, the top three countries of residence of overseas visitors—the United Kingdom (123,300), France (99,200), and Germany (57,200)—represented 34.5% of all overseas arrivals in Canada in August.

During the month, overseas residents arrived in Canada most frequently at airports located in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Calgary, which welcomed a combined 95.4% of all overseas-resident arrivals by air.

Trips abroad by Canadian residents

Canadian residents returned from 5.3 million trips abroad in August, an increase of 7.4% from August 2023 and representing 90.2% of such trips taken during the same month in 2019.

Trips to the United States by automobile (3.3 million) in August 2024 represented 61.9% of the total trips taken abroad by Canadian residents, and over half (56.1%) of those trips to the United States were same-day trips. Canadian residents returning by automobile from a visit to the United States increased by 5.5% year over year and represented 85.4% of such trips taken in August 2019.

In August 2024, Canadian residents flew back to Canada from 1.9 million trips abroad, which represented 35.2% of the total trips taken by Canadian residents. Air arrivals in August were 11.1% higher than in the same month one year earlier and exceeded the number of such arrivals recorded in August 2019 by 0.7%.

The busiest points of entry for Canadian residents returning from the United States by automobile in August 2024, accounting for a combined 55.6% of such trips, were near Vancouver (including Douglas and Pacific Highway in Surrey), near Niagara (including Niagara Falls and Fort Erie), and in Southwestern Ontario (including Windsor and Sarnia).

The busiest airports for Canadian residents returning home from abroad in August were in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Calgary. Combined, these airports represented 94.0% of all air arrivals of Canadian residents from abroad.

Seasonally adjusted arrivals

Tourism is influenced by seasonal effects (e.g., actual seasons and holidays such as Canada Day and Thanksgiving) and by calendar effects (e.g., number of weekends in a month). All statistics in this section are based on seasonally adjusted data (for more information, please see the Note to readers).

August marked the fourth consecutive monthly decrease of non-resident arrivals (arrivals of US residents and overseas residents combined) in Canada since April 2024.

In August, the overall number of arrivals in Canada by US residents decreased by 0.6% compared with July. Arrivals by air increased by 2.6% and arrivals by automobile decreased by 2.1%, mainly due to fewer overnight automobile trips (-4.0%). The number of US residents entering Canada by modes other than air and automobile (e.g., bus, ferry, and train) increased by 1.5% from July to August.

The number of overseas-resident arrivals in Canada increased 1.2% in August compared with the previous month, due to increases in arrivals from the Americas (excluding the United States) (+2.9%), Europe (+1.2%) and Asia (+0.1%).

Arrivals by residents of Europe—the largest overseas market, with 44.5% of the total overseas arrivals in Canada—increased 1.2% from July to August. By volume, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy all contributed to the increase, while the number of arrivals from Israel and the United Kingdom declined in August.

In August, arrivals by residents of Asia—the second-largest overseas market, with 29.5% of the total overseas arrivals in Canada—increased 0.1% from July. There were increases in the number of visitors from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in August, while the number of arrivals declined from India.

Arrivals by residents of the Americas (excluding the United States)—the third-largest overseas market, with 15.9% of the total overseas arrivals—increased 2.9% from July to August. This rise was attributable to the increases in visitors from Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico. In contrast, there was a decline in the number of visitors from Brazil in August.

Canadian residents returning from a trip abroad in August decreased by 0.3% from July. While Canadian-resident arrivals from overseas countries increased by 1.3%, there was an overall decrease in Canadian-resident trips from the United States (-0.9%) in August, with decreases in trips by air (-3.5%) and overnight trips by automobile (-2.6%). August marked the fourth consecutive monthly decline in Canadian-resident return trips from the United States, by any mode of travel.

Chart 1 
Non-resident visitors entering Canada, August 2018 to August 2024

Chart 2 
Canadian residents returning to Canada from abroad, August 2018 to August 2024

Products

The product "Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard," part of the Data Visualization Products series (Catalogue number71-607-X), is also available.

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).