Travel between Canada and other countries, January 2023
Released: 2023-03-22
Highlights
In January, the overall number of international arrivals to Canada—non-resident visitors and returning Canadian residents—reached over three-quarters (78.4%) of the level from January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residents of overseas countries took three times as many trips to Canada in January 2023, compared with the same month in 2022, and almost two-thirds (65.9%) of the trips taken in January 2020.
US residents took 866,700 trips to Canada in January 2023. This was four times the number of trips taken in January 2022, and 72.1% of those taken in January 2020, before the pandemic.
Canadian residents returned from 3.6 million trips abroad in January 2023, more than triple the number from January 2022 and over four-fifths (81.2%) of the pre-pandemic level from January 2020. The number of Canadian residents returning from the United States by air has exceeded its pre-pandemic level since September 2022.
To further explore current and historical data in an interactive format, please visit our new Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard.
For more current estimates of international arrivals to Canada, please see the "Leading indicator of international arrivals to Canada" for the February 2023 reference month.
Travel requirements and advisories
Following a rocky start to the holiday travel season in December 2022, congestion at Canada's borders eased in January because of seasonal declines in volumes.
As of January 5, 2023, the Government of Canada implemented the requirement of a negative COVID-19 test for travellers aged two years and older arriving from the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong or Macao.
Additionally, on January 7, the Government of Canada issued a non-essential travel advisory for some regions in Mexico, following a discernible rise in criminal activity and violence.
Overseas visitors to Canada
In January, 241,100 overseas residents arrived in Canada, three times the 79,700 arrivals in January 2022 and almost two-thirds (65.9%) of arrivals during the same month in 2020. This rate of recovery marks a reversal from December 2022 (74.6%), which capped four consecutive months of growth since September 2022.
In January, over one-third (87,400) of overseas visitors arrived from Europe, up from 33,400 in 2022 and reaching 73.6% of the level from the same month in 2020. However, recovery of the Asian market continued to lag, with 63,200 residents arriving this January 2023, less than half (44.2%) of the number from the same month in 2020.
US-resident trips to Canada
In January, US residents took 866,700 trips to Canada, four times as many trips as in January 2022 (218,600), and almost three-quarters (72.1%) of the trips taken during the same month in 2020.
Of the total arrivals in January, 645,000 were by automobile, 57.8% (372,700) of which were same-day returns. This total was an increase from the 157,300 arrivals by automobile observed in January 2022.
Canadian-resident trips to the United States
Canadian residents returned from 2.7 million trips to the United States in January, four times the number taken in January 2022 (690,200) and 89.4% of the pre-pandemic level from the same month in 2020. This was much higher than the 73.0% recovery rate in December 2022.
Of the total return trips by Canadian residents in January 2023, 1.6 million trips were by automobile, nearly two-thirds (64.6%) of which were same-day. The number of trips returning by air was 1.1 million, higher (+18.2%) than the same month in 2020, exceeding the pre-pandemic level for the fifth consecutive month since September 2022.
Canadian residents travelling overseas
In January 2023, there were 851,900 return trips taken by Canadian residents overseas, up by more than 388,200 trips from the same month in 2022. Overseas trips in January 2023 recovered just over three-fifths (62.6%) of the same level observed in 2020, slightly higher than in December 2022 (61.9%).
Note to readers
Starting with the January 2022 release, all estimates, including those in Table 1, are based on unadjusted counts only. Seasonally adjusted data continue to be available online in tables 24-10-0051-01 and 24-10-0054-01.
Seasonally adjusted data for January 2020 to December 2022 have been revised. Revisions were made to data for October and November 2022 that were not seasonally adjusted.
Continental totals of historical data from 1972 to 1989 have been revised for Table 24-10-0050-01.
Readers are encouraged to review the concepts, definitions, data sources, methods and summary of changes for Frontier Counts, as well as explanatory notes for online tables, especially when making historical comparisons and examining specific regions.
Overseas countries refer to countries other than Canada or the United States.
A Canadian resident visitor is a Canadian resident traveller whose trip purpose outside Canada is related to tourism and whose trip duration is less than one year.
A non-resident visitor is a traveller to Canada whose country of residence is not Canada, whose trip purpose is related to tourism and whose trip duration is less than one year.
Products
The January 2023 issue of International Travel: Advance Information (66-001-P) is now available.
The product "Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard," part of the Data Visualization Products series (71-607-X), is also 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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