Travel between Canada and other countries, November 2021
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Released: 2022-01-21
Highlights
The number of international arrivals to Canada continued to increase during November but still remained well below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
While travellers from overseas countries made 121,200 trips to Canada in November (over four times more) compared with the same month in 2020, it was just over one-third (37.5%) of the trips in November 2019, before the pandemic.
In November 2021, there were 439,100 American residents travelling to Canada, over four times greater than the number in November 2020. However, this was less than one-third (30.0%) of the number in November 2019.
Canadians made a total of almost 1.2 million return trips home from abroad in November, more than three times compared with November 2020 but just over one-quarter (27.9%) compared with November 2019.
Borders opening but restrictions returning
The federal government opened Canada's borders to all fully vaccinated international travellers on September 7, 2021. Additionally, effective October 30, 2021, all air passengers departing from Canadian airports are required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel.
In late November 2021, the World Health Organization declared a new variant of concern, Omicron, prompting Canada to implement new travel restrictions. The data in this release may not yet reflect impacts from these travel restrictions.
Overseas arrivals down in November
With testing and quarantine no longer required for fully vaccinated international travellers, 121,200 overseas residents arrived in Canada in November 2021. While the number is more than four times the arrivals during November 2020, it is still less than half the 322,800 overseas residents who entered Canada during the same month in 2019.
On a monthly basis, overseas arrivals in November were about three-quarters of the month before, in line with seasonal trends.
Year over year, the number of travellers originating from Europe jumped from 9,500 in November 2020 to 55,800 in November 2021, still down from the 123,100 arrivals in November 2019. Likewise, arrivals from Asia were up year over year, from 12,500 in November 2020 to 34,700 in November 2021, but this was below the 115,500 arrivals in November 2019, before the pandemic.
Travellers from other major markets also remained historically low throughout November.
Americans continue crossing into Canada
In November, US residents took 439,100 trips to Canada, more than four times as many than in November 2020 (98,400). This represents almost one-third (30.0%) of the 1.5 million such trips made in November 2019.
There were 313,000 American residents who arrived by car in November 2021, with 41.4% (129,500) making a same-day return. While up from 83,300 in November 2020, American arrivals by car during November 2021 were less than one-third (29.7%) of the 1.1 million arrivals in November 2019, before the pandemic.
US visits by Canadians more than triple
The number of Canadian residents returning from the United States in November 2021 was 786,000, more than triple the amount in November 2020 (252,600), but far below the 3.3 million in November 2019.
Of the 455,000 Canadians who returned by car, 258,300 more than in November 2020, over half (273,600) were same-day.
Border communities in British Columbia saw a sharp increase in same-day trips after major flooding prompted a temporary exemption of COVID-19 testing requirements to travel for essential supplies and services. For example, the Huntingdon crossing near Abbotsford, BC saw an increase of over seven times in same-day travellers (337 vs. 45) the week following the exemption.
Despite this sudden flurry, total car arrivals were less than one-fifth (19.6%) of the 2.3 million return trips by car that Canadian residents took in November 2019, before the pandemic.
Finally, the number of Canadians flying back from the United States rose year over year in November, from 54,500 in 2020 to 324,900 in 2021. However, this remained just over one-third (36.8%) of the 882,500 returning Canadians in the same month in 2019, before the pandemic.
More Canadians returning home from overseas
In November, 366,900 Canadian residents returned home from overseas travel, almost five times the number in November 2020 (73,200), but still under half (43.5%) of the 842,800 returning Canadians in November 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 for August to October 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 November 2021 issue of International Travel: Advance Information (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; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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