International travel account
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Canada's international travel deficit increased $213 million to reach $4.2 billion during the first quarter. The increase was largely attributed to a rise in spending by Canadian travellers in the United States.
Canadian travellers spent $8.1 billion abroad during the first quarter, a rise of 1.4% compared with the fourth quarter of 2010.
Travellers from abroad spent $3.9 billion in Canada, a decrease of 2.6% compared with the previous quarter.
New high in spending by Canadian travellers in the United States
The travel deficit with the United States increased $268 million from the previous quarter to reach $3.3 billion in the first quarter.
Note to readers
This international travel account analysis is based on preliminary quarterly data, seasonally adjusted unless otherwise stated. Amounts are in Canadian dollars and are not adjusted for inflation.
Receipts represent spending by foreigners travelling in Canada, including education spending, medical spending and spending by crew members. Payments represent spending by Canadian residents travelling abroad, including education spending, medical spending and spending by crew members.
Overseas countries are those other than the United States.
The increase in the deficit was the result of greater spending by Canadian travellers in the United States which reached a new high of $5.0 billion in the first quarter, up 3.9% from the previous quarter.
The rise in spending by Canadians coincided with a 4.2% increase in the number of same-day car trips to the United States compared with the previous quarter.
Spending by U.S. residents in Canada was recorded at $1.7 billion during the first quarter, a decline of 4.4% compared with the fourth quarter of 2010. This is the lowest level recorded since the first quarter of 1997.
A decrease of 8.9% in the number of same-day car trips by American travellers probably contributed to a decrease in spending by American residents in Canada. Same-day car travel by Americans to Canada totalled 1.7 million trips, its lowest level since record-keeping began in 1972.
The Canadian dollar rose 2.8% to reach an average value of US $1.01 during the first quarter. The increase coincided with an increase in the number of same-day car trips taken by Canadians to the United States and a decrease in those of Americans to Canada.
Lower travel deficit with overseas countries
Canada's travel deficit with overseas countries shrank $56 million compared with the previous quarter to sit at $873 million in the first quarter.
The decrease in the deficit was in part the result of a 2.5% decline in spending by Canadians in overseas countries, which reached $3.1 billion in the first quarter. This was the second consecutive decrease in Canadian spending in overseas countries.
Travellers from overseas countries spent $2.2 billion in Canada, a decline of 1.1% compared with the previous quarter. During the same period, the number of overseas travellers declined 1.5% to reach 1.1 million trips in the first quarter.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 3152 and 5005.
The international travel account for the second quarter will be released on August 26.
For more information, or to inquire about the concepts, methods and data quality of this release, contact Lotfi Chahdi (613-951-3136; lotfi.chahdi@statcan.gc.ca) or Client Services (toll-free 1-800-307-3382; 613-951-9169; fax: 613-951-2909; tourism@statcan.gc.ca), Tourism and Centre for Education Statistics Division.
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