National tourism indicators, third quarter 2024
Released: 2025-01-09
$23.6 billion
Third quarter 2024
-0.3% 
(quarterly change)
$17.9 billion
Third quarter 2024
0.5% 
(quarterly change)
$5.7 billion
Third quarter 2024
-2.7%
(quarterly change)
1.53%
Third quarter 2024
691,100
Third quarter 2024
0.0%
(quarterly change)
Tourism spending in Canada declined 0.3% in the third quarter, following a 0.6% increase in the second quarter. Foreign tourism demand was down 2.7% in the third quarter, while domestic tourism demand increased 0.5%. Tourism gross domestic product (GDP) decreased 0.6% in the third quarter due to a 2.6% decline in accommodation services, while the number of jobs attributable to tourism was unchanged. By comparison, economy-wide real GDP by industry rose 0.3% in the third quarter. On a nominal basis, tourism's share of GDP dropped to 1.53%.
Chart 1
Tourism and major industrial sectors, gross domestic product, third quarter of 2024
Lower tourism spending on accommodation services (-2.5%) was the main cause of the overall decline in the third quarter. Food and beverage services (-0.4%), passenger air transport (-0.2%) and travel services (-2.0%) also contributed to the decrease. Pre-trip expenses, such as recreational vehicles, pleasure crafts and camping equipment, rose 3.6% in the third quarter, moderating the overall decline. Lower tourism activity by non-residents impacted accommodation spending growth, as the portion of their tourism spending traditionally allocated to accommodations is nearly double that of domestic tourists (27.2% for non-residents compared with 14.1% for Canadian residents in the third quarter).
Chart 2
Tourism spending declines
Growth in the number of tourism jobs was flat in the third quarter, after an increase of 0.3% in the second quarter. Tourism job growth within non-tourism industries (+0.7%), travel services (+1.6%) and air transportation (+0.7%) was offset by a decline in accommodation services (-1.3%) in the third quarter. The total number of jobs in Canada was nearly unchanged in the third quarter; as a result, tourism's share of total jobs remained at 3.31%.
Chart 3
Tourism gross domestic product declines and jobs attributable to tourism unchanged
Tourism spending by international visitors declines
Tourism spending by international visitors in Canada fell 2.7% in the third quarter, following a 1.7% gain in the second quarter. Accommodation services (-3.5%), food and beverage services (-3.3%) and passenger air transport (-2.8%) were the main contributors to the decline. Overnight travel to Canada by international visitors decreased 3.4% in the third quarter.
Chart 4
Share of tourism spending in Canada by international visitors declines
Tourism spending in Canada by Canadians increases
Tourism spending in Canada by Canadians was up 0.5% in the third quarter, after a 0.2% increase in the second quarter. Domestic tourism spending on pre-trip expenses (+3.6%), vehicle fuel (+1.5%), food and beverage services (+0.8%) and passenger air transport (+0.4%) were the main contributors to the rise in the third quarter. Growth was moderated by a decline in accommodation services (-1.9%).
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Sustainable development goals
On January 1, 2016, the world officially began implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the United Nations' transformative plan of action that addresses urgent global challenges over the next 15 years. The plan is based on 17 specific sustainable development goals.
The national tourism indicators are an example of how Statistics Canada supports the reporting on the global goals for sustainable development. This release will be used in helping to measure the following goal:
Note to readers
With the third quarter 2024 release of the national tourism indicators, all data from the first and second quarters of 2024 have been revised.
Growth rates for tourism spending and gross domestic product (GDP) are expressed in real terms (that is, adjusted for price changes), using reference year 2017, and are adjusted for seasonal variations, unless otherwise indicated.
Tourism jobs data are also seasonally adjusted.
Tourism's share of economy-wide GDP is calculated from seasonally adjusted nominal values.
Tourism's share of economy-wide jobs is calculated using seasonally adjusted values.
Economy-wide GDP is obtained from Table 36-10-0449-01. Economy-wide total number of jobs is obtained from Table 36-10-0207-01. Overnight travel to Canada by international visitors is obtained from Table 24-10-0054-01.
For information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
Associated percentage changes are presented at quarterly rates unless otherwise noted.
The upcoming fourth quarter 2024 release of the national tourism indicators will incorporate updated indicators from the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts and from the integration of the 2021 Supply and Use Tables. As a result, data from the first quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2024 will be revised.
Non-tourism industries, also referred to as other industries, are industries that would continue to exist in the absence of tourism. For example, retail trade industries, which benefit from tourism activity, would not cease to exist in the absence of tourism. Tourism GDP takes into account the production of these products purchased by tourists.
Non-tourism products, also referred to as other products, are products for which a significant part of its total demand in Canada does not come from visitors, such as groceries, clothing and alcohol bought in stores.
The national tourism indicators are funded by Destination Canada.
Next release
Data on the national tourism indicators for the fourth quarter of 2024 will be released on March 27, 2025.
Products
The Economic accounts statistics portal, accessible from the Subjects module of the Statistics Canada website, features an up-to-date portrait of national and provincial economies and their structure.
The Latest Developments in the Canadian Economic Accounts (13-605-X) is available.
The User Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (13-606-G) is available.
The Methodological Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (13-607-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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