TIAC Reports Canadian International Travel Increases

September 10, 2004

TIAC Reports Canadian International Travel Increases
September 10, 2004 – According to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Canadians are taking more international trips. TIAC suggests that the stronger Canadian dollar may have been a factor in this increase. Between January and March of this year Canadians took nearly 5 million overnight trips, up 11 percent over the first quarter last year. Of the nearly 5 million trips Canadians took abroad, over 3 million were to the United States, a 9.6 percent gain. This was the first time since 2000 that an increase in travel to the U.S. has occurred during a first quarter.

Recent surveys show that Canadians are heading to more sunny destinations. Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba were the most popular destinations, accounting for more than half of all overseas visits.

The top 10 overseas destinations all reported gains for overnight travel, while spending by Canadian residents in overseas countries increased 15.7 percent to $2.6 billion, the highest ever for a first quarter.

Pleasure trips accounted for 12.1 percent, while business travel increased a more modest 2.2 percent over 2003. Despite the increase in travel to the U.S., Canadian spending in the U.S. remained stable at about $2.4 million, with average spending per trip falling from $874 to $799.

Domestic travel within Canada also increased by 1.7 percent to 35.2 million trips in the first quarter 2004.

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