Characteristics of international overnight travellers, first quarter 2012

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Overnight business travel both to and from Canada increased at a faster pace than the two other main reasons for travel during the first quarter compared with the first quarter of 2011.

Business travel represented a smaller proportion of total travel than trips for pleasure or visiting friends or relatives. However, people on business travel spent on average more per night.

Canadian travellers made 673,000 overnight business trips to the United States during the first quarter, up 12.3% from the first quarter of 2011. They spent $673 million, an average of $207 per night.

In the opposite direction, American travellers made 425,000 overnight business trips to Canada, a 7.1% increase. While in Canada, they spent $329 million, an average of $254 per night.

Canadian business travel to overseas countries increased 7.5% from 146,000 to 157,000 overnight trips. Overnight business travellers spent $268 million while abroad.

Overseas residents took 133,000 overnight trips to Canada for business in the first quarter, up 1.4% from the first quarter of 2011, and spent $232 million.

For Americans coming to Canada, pleasure was the top reason. They took 671,000 overnight trips for pleasure, up 5.8% from the first quarter of 2011. Overall, New York, Washington and Michigan were the top three states of origin for all overnight travel.

Among countries other than the United States, the primary reason for coming to Canada was to visit friends or relatives. Overseas residents made 210,000 such overnight trips, up 12.0% from the first quarter of 2011

The United Kingdom, France, and China were the top overseas countries of origin for overnight travel to Canada. Travel to Canada from China increased 24.0% compared with the first quarter of 2011.

Canadian residents took nearly 3.3 million pleasure trips to the United States, up 9.9%. Overall, Florida, New York and Washington continued to be the top three states for overnight visits by Canadians.

Travel for pleasure was also the prime reason for Canadian travel to overseas countries, accounting for 81.2% of all overseas travel. Canadian residents spent $2.8 billion overseas on pleasure trips in the first quarter. Overall, the top three destinations were still Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.