Characteristics of international overnight travellers

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Pleasure travel was the most popular reason for Canadian residents to travel during the fourth quarter. In total, they took 3.7 million overnight pleasure trips to the United States and overseas countries.

Of this total, the majority (2.4 million) were to the United States. These trips accounted for more than half (55.4%) of all overnight travel to the United States. Canadian residents spent $2.0 billion on their overnight pleasure trips in the United States.

The next most popular reason for travel to the United States was to visit friends and relatives, with such trips totalling 776,000.

New York State was the top destination, as Canadian residents made 712,000 overnight visits to the state and spent $275 million. However, Canadian residents spent more money in Florida, the next most popular destination state. They made 645,000 overnight visits to Florida, spending $641 million.

Pleasure travel was also the most common reason for overnight travel from the United States to Canada. US residents took 907,000 overnight pleasure trips to Canada in the fourth quarter, spending $525 million while here.

The top state of origin was New York State, as its residents made 299,000 overnight trips to Canada in the fourth quarter, spending $121 million in the process. Washington State and Michigan were the next two most common states of origin.

The most popular overseas destinations for overnight travel by Canadian residents were Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom.

Canadian residents took 1.3 million overnight trips for pleasure to overseas countries, accounting for 70.3% of all overnight travel overseas. They spent $1.6 billion on their overnight pleasure trips in overseas countries. Canadian residents also took 275,000 overnight trips overseas to visit friends and relatives.

In the opposite direction, pleasure was the third most important reason for overnight overseas travel to Canada. The leading purpose was to visit friends and relatives, which accounted for 40.2% of all overnight trips to Canada. It was followed by business travel, which represented 24.9%.

The United Kingdom was the top overseas country of origin for overnight travel to Canada, followed by France and Japan.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3152.

This release summarizes data now available from the International Travel Survey. Tables, various statistical profiles and microdata files of characteristics of international travellers for the preliminary fourth quarter of 2010 are now available on request.

Data on the characteristics of international travellers for the first quarter will be released on August 24.

To obtain one or more of these products, 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; fax: 613-951-2909; frances.kremarik@statcan.gc.ca), Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.