Leading indicator of international arrivals to Canada, November 2023
Released: 2023-12-11
Highlights
In November 2023, the number of international arrivals to Canada, including non-resident trips and Canadian-resident return trips, increased from November 2022. However, when compared with pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, the recovery rates of some indicators were trending down.
The number of non-resident arrivals at Canadian airports equipped with electronic sensors totalled 504,100 in November 2023, up 19.5% from November 2022. Meanwhile, the number of Canadian-resident return trips from abroad reached 1.4 million, a 12.9% increase from November 2022.
In November 2023, US residents took 783,500 trips to Canada through land ports with electronic sensors, up 18.2% from the same month in 2022. Moreover, the number of Canadian-resident return trips from the United States via the same land ports rose 22.9% year over year to 1.7 million trips in November 2023.
To further explore current and historical data in an interactive format, please visit the Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard.
Non-resident trips to Canada by air
In November, non-resident arrivals at Canadian airports equipped with Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIKs) totalled 504,100, up 19.5% from November 2022. These include both arrivals from overseas countries (244,600) and from the United States (259,500).
When data from Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal 1 are excluded from the total arrivals (see Note to readers), non-resident arrivals in November 2023 represented 92.6% of their November 2019 pre-pandemic volume. This was up from the 92.1% recovery rate observed in October 2023.
Chart 1
Non-resident trips to Canada by commercial aircraft, November, 2019 to 2023
US-resident trips to Canada by automobile
In November, the number of US-resident trips to Canada by automobile through land ports equipped with the Integrated Primary Inspection Line (IPIL) application reached 783,500, up from the 662,900 trips recorded in November 2022. The number of arrivals by automobile in November 2023 represented 86.8% of that observed in November 2019. This was below the 88.4% recovery rate posted in October 2023.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, precisely on November 22 and 23 (the Wednesday the day before and Thursday the day of the holiday), there were 96,300 arrivals by US residents. This number exceeded the average arrivals (36,800) of the other Wednesdays and Thursdays in November 2023 by more than one and a half times.
Chart 2
United States-resident trips to Canada by automobile, November, 2019 to 2023
Canadian-resident return trips by air
In November, Canadian-resident return trips from abroad through airports equipped with PIKs stood at 1.4 million, up 12.9% from November 2022.
When arrivals at Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal 1 are excluded from the total arrivals (see Note to readers), the number of return trips in November 2023 was 3.9% higher than the pre-pandemic level observed in November 2019. This was lower than the recovery rate of 109.3% observed in October 2023.
Chart 3
Canadian-resident return trips from abroad by commercial aircraft, November, 2019 to 2023
Canadian-resident return trips by automobile
In November, the number of Canadian-resident return trips from visiting the United States by automobile via IPIL-equipped land ports totalled 1.7 million, compared with 1.4 million trips the same month one year earlier. This represented a 22.9% increase.
In November 2023, the recovery rate of Canadian-resident return trips by automobile was 88.8% of the 1.9 million trips observed in the same month in 2019. This was lower than the 90.6% recovery rate posted in October 2023.
Chart 4
Canadian-resident return trips from the United States by automobile, November, 2019 to 2023
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Note to readers
This release provides a first glimpse of international arrivals to Canada in November 2023. Complete counts for the November reference month will be available with the release of "Travel between Canada and other countries" on January 23, 2024.
All counts of arrivals by air are from commercial aircraft and are produced exclusively using Primary Inspection Kiosk (PIK) data. PIKs were deployed at Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal 1 on June 22, 2021, and, as of July 2021, these arrivals are included in the total counts, which has consequently improved coverage. In 2022, PIKs captured approximately 92% of all commercial air arrivals.
Counts of arrivals entering the country by automobile through land ports equipped with the automated Integrated Primary Inspection Line (IPIL) system represent a subset of US-resident trips and Canadian-resident return trips by automobile. In 2022, IPIL land ports captured approximately 89% of all automobile entries.
In January 2022, some IPIL ports switched mode from land to water. In 2019, arrivals at these ports accounted for a small fraction (0.7%) of all arrivals entering or returning to Canada by automobile.
Readers are encouraged to review the concepts, definitions, data sources and methods for Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard, especially when making historical comparisons and examining specific regions.
Selective estimates from the Canadian Tourism Activity Tracker for September 2023 are available upon request.
Products
The product "Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard," part of the Data Visualization Products series (71-607-X), is 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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