Travel between Canada and other countries, August 2021
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Released: 2021-10-22
Highlights
The number of international arrivals to Canada continued to increase during August, but remains a fraction of pre-pandemic levels.
While travellers from overseas countries made 91,300 trips to Canada in August, more than double compared with August 2020, it was less than 10% of the pre-pandemic levels from August 2019.
In August 2021, there were 509,700 American residents travelling to Canada—more than four times greater than in August 2020, yet 14.3% of the number from the same month in 2019.
Canadians made a total of 847,900 return trips home from abroad in August, more than double August 2020, but a small portion (14.4%) of the August 2019 level.
Canada begins to open its borders
Although restrictions on non-essential travel across the Canada–US border remained in place in August, more cross-border traffic was observed as provinces continued to ease restrictions and the federal government started opening Canada's borders to fully vaccinated travellers.
Effective August 9, Canada began allowing entry to American citizens and permanent residents, who have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before entering Canada, into the country for non-essential travel.
Overseas arrivals up but far below pre-pandemic levels
The number of residents from overseas countries arriving in Canada rose to 91,300 in August, up from 37,800 in August 2020. The August 2021 figure represents 8.6% of the 1.1 million overseas arrivals during August 2019, prior to the pandemic.
The number of travellers originating from Europe more than tripled, from 11,400 in August 2020 to 39,800 in August 2021, but was down significantly from the 516,000 arrivals in August 2019. While arrivals from Asia were up year over year from 16,200 to 34,200 in August 2021, this was 89.6% below the pre-pandemic level of August 2019. The number of travellers from other major markets also remained low throughout August.
More Americans crossing into Canada
In August, US residents took 509,700 trips to Canada, up from 120,800 in August 2020. The August 2021 figure represents 14.3% of the 3.6 million such trips made in August 2019.
With testing and quarantine no longer required beginning on August 9, 2021 for fully vaccinated US air travellers, 90,800 US residents arrived by plane in August. This was more than double the July figure and the highest number since the pandemic began in March 2020. While a more than sixfold increase from August 2020, it is well below the 666,700 Americans who flew into Canada during the same month in 2019.
American residents arriving to Canada by car increased to 412,200 in August 2021, with less than one-third (31.1%) making a same-day return (128,100). American arrivals by car during August more than doubled the number in July and were at their highest number since March 2020. While up from 104,700 American residents arriving to Canada by car in August 2020, it is a portion (17.0%) of the 2.4 million arrivals in August 2019.
US visits by Canadians up but remain low
The number of Canadian residents returning from the United States in August 2021 was 506,100, roughly 250,000 more than in August 2020, but well below the 4.8 million Canadians who returned in the same month in 2019, before the pandemic.
Car arrivals by Canadians returning from the United States rose by over 110,000 year over year to 328,500 in August 2021, of which 229,800 were same-day trips. This was down from the 3.8 million return trips by car that Canadian residents took in August 2019.
Due to the easing of restrictions for fully vaccinated residents, the number of Canadians flying back from the United States rose from 36,500 in August 2020 to 170,000 in August 2021. This was down 77.0% from the same month in 2019.
More Canadians returning from overseas
In August 2021, 341,700 Canadian residents returned home from travel overseas, up from 90,600 returning Canadians in August 2020, but 69.5% lower compared with the pre-pandemic level in August 2019.
Note to readers
Statistics Canada's Frontier Counts program uses administrative data from the Canada Border Services Agency on all international travellers who have been cleared for entry or re-entry into Canada.
Since April 2020, releases have been based on unadjusted data (not seasonally adjusted) to emphasize the change in actual volumes.
Seasonally adjusted data from May to July 2021 have been revised.
Overseas countries refer to countries other than the United States.
A Canadian resident traveller is a Canadian resident who travelled outside Canada for a period of less than 12 months.
A non-resident traveller is a resident of a country other than Canada who travelled to Canada for a period of less than 12 months.
An overnight traveller or a tourist is a traveller whose trip includes one or more nights' stay.
Products
The August 2021 issue of International Travel: Advance Information, Vol. 42, no. 8 (66-001-P), is now 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; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
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