Travel between Canada and other countries, September 2024

Released: 2024-11-22

Highlights

In September, US residents took 2.2 million trips to Canada, and residents of overseas countries took 683,700 trips. The number of non-resident arrivals (US-resident and overseas-resident arrivals combined) in Canada represented 91.7% of the number observed in September 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September 2024, Canadian residents returned from 4.2 million trips abroad, which represented 93.3% of the level recorded in September 2019.

Using seasonally adjusted data, on a month-to-month basis, non-resident arrivals in Canada increased by 1.5% in September 2024. Similarly, returning Canadian-resident arrivals increased by 3.8% in September, compared with the previous month.

To further explore current and historical data in an interactive format, please visit the Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard.

Trips to Canada by US residents

In September, US residents took 2.2 million trips to Canada, up 1.1% from the same month in 2023. The number of trips recorded in September 2024 corresponded to 95.8% of the level observed in September 2019, before the pandemic.

In September 2024, 56.5% of US residents visiting Canada arrived by automobile (1.2 million arrivals), and 51.4% of those arrivals were same-day trips. Arrivals by automobile were down 4.9% year over year and represented 88.4% of such trips recorded in September 2019. US residents also took trips crossing Canadian land borders in September 2024 by other means, such as by bus (61,200), as pedestrians (20,800) or by train (18,400).

Air arrivals (524,000) made up 23.8% of all trips to Canada taken by US residents in September. Those arrivals increased by 12.4% from the same month in 2023 and represented 98.0% of the number of trips taken in September 2019.

Additionally, 294,700 trips to Canada by US residents were taken on a cruise ship or other commercial boat in September 2024, up 9.0% year over year and exceeding such trips taken in September 2019 by 45.5%.

In September 2024, the main points of entry by US residents entering Canada by automobile were near Niagara (including Niagara Falls and Fort Erie), near Vancouver (including Douglas and Pacific Highway in Surrey), and in Southwestern Ontario (including Windsor and Sarnia). Together, these were the points of entry for 66.5% of all such trips.

In September, the busiest points of entry by air were in Toronto (including Toronto Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport), Vancouver, Montréal, and Calgary. Combined, these points of entry represented 88.8% of all US-resident arrivals in Canada by air during the month.

Trips to Canada by overseas residents

In September, 683,700 overseas residents arrived in Canada, representing an increase of 0.2% compared with the same month in 2023 and 80.5% of the level recorded in September 2019. In September 2024, 73.7% of the overseas residents arrived by air (503,600).

Together, the top three countries of residence of overseas visitors—the United Kingdom (112,400), France (71,500), and Germany (51,700)—represented 34.5% of all overseas arrivals in Canada in September.

During the month, overseas residents arrived in Canada most frequently at airports in Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal, and Calgary, which welcomed a combined 96.0% of all overseas-resident arrivals by air.

Trips abroad by Canadian residents

Canadian residents returned from 4.2 million trips abroad in September, up 9.2% from September 2023 and representing 93.3% of such trips taken during the same month in 2019.

Trips to the United States by automobile (2.4 million) in September 2024 represented 57.8% of the total trips taken abroad by Canadian residents, and 63.5% of those trips to the United States were same-day trips. Canadian residents returning by automobile from a visit to the United States increased by 8.2% year over year and represented 87.8% of such trips taken in September 2019.

In September 2024, Canadian residents flew back to Canada from 1.6 million trips abroad, representing 39.0% of the total trips taken by Canadian residents. Air arrivals in September were 10.4% higher than the same month one year earlier and exceeded the number of such arrivals recorded in September 2019 by 3.8%.

The busiest points of entry for Canadian residents returning from the United States by automobile in September 2024 were near Vancouver (including Douglas and Pacific Highway in Surrey), in Southwestern Ontario (including Windsor and Sarnia), and near Niagara (including Niagara Falls and Fort Erie). Combined, these points of entry accounted for 59.4% of such trips.

The busiest airports for Canadian residents returning home from abroad in September were in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Calgary. Combined, these airports represented 93.6% of all air arrivals of Canadian residents from abroad.

Seasonally adjusted arrivals

Tourism is influenced by seasonal effects (e.g., actual seasons and holidays such as Canada Day and Thanksgiving) and by calendar effects (e.g., number of weekends in a month). All statistics in this section are based on seasonally adjusted data (for more information, please see the Note to readers).

In September, the overall number of arrivals in Canada by US residents increased by 2.3%, compared with August. Arrivals by air increased by 0.4% and arrivals by automobile increased by 2.6%. The number of US residents entering Canada by modes other than air and automobile (e.g., bus, ferry and train) increased by 4.2% from August to September.

The number of overseas-resident arrivals in Canada increased 1.5% in September, compared with the previous month. There were decreases in arrivals from nearly all continents except Oceania (+2.3%). The Americas (excluding the United States) were virtually unchanged from the previous month.

Arrivals by residents of Europe—the largest overseas market, with 45.6% of the total overseas arrivals in Canada—decreased 0.2% from August to September. By volume, arrivals from France, Italy, and Spain all contributed to the monthly decline.

In September, arrivals by residents of Asia—the second-largest overseas market, with 28.1% of the total overseas arrivals in Canada—decreased 4.3% from August. During this period, declines in arrivals from India, the Philippines, China, and Japan contributed to the overall decrease. Increases in the number of visitors from South Korea and Singapore were not large enough to offset the monthly decline.

Arrivals by residents of the Americas (excluding the United States)—the third-largest overseas market, with 16.3% of the total overseas arrivals—were virtually unchanged overall from August. Increases in arrivals from Brazil and Haiti offset declines from Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados.

Canadian residents returning from a trip abroad in September increased by 3.8% from August. Canadian-resident arrivals from overseas countries increased by 7.1%, while return trips from the United States were up by 2.8% for the month. September also marked the first monthly increase in Canadian-resident return trips from the United States since April 2024, attributable to the increase in trips by automobile over the summer months (July to September).

Chart 1 
Non-resident visitors entering Canada, September 2018 to September 2024

Chart 2 
Canadian residents returning to Canada from abroad, September 2018 to September 2024

Products

The product "Frontier Counts: Interactive Dashboard," part of the Data Visualization Products series (Catalogue number71-607-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).