July 2008 – Overall, travel both to and from Canada declined in July compared with June.
Visitors made a total of 2.2 million trips to Canada in July, down 1.8% from the previous month. Travel from the United States declined 2.1% from June, continuing the downward trend observed over the last nine years.
Both same-day car and overnight travel by American residents to Canada decreased in July from June. The number of same-day car trips fell 0.9% from June. When compared with July 2007, however, same-day car travel was down 19.9%.
The number of overnight trips by US residents to Canada declined 3.3% compared with June, as both overnight trips by car (-4.9%) and by plane (-1.6%) were down.
Overseas travel to Canada decreased 0.6% in July from June. Even so, travel from 7 of the top 12 overseas markets to Canada increased in July, with China posting the largest gain (+6.8%). Travel from Mexico recorded the largest decrease in July, down 4.0% from June.
On an outbound basis, Canadian residents took 4.4 million trips outside the country, down 1.4% from June.
Of these trips, 3.7 million were trips to the United States, down 2.1% from June. Same-day car travel to the US decreased 1.8% to 2.1 million trips. Overnight travel by Canadian residents to the US also declined, led by a 4.7% drop in overnight car trips. Overnight plane travel, however, increased 0.4% from June to July.
Canadians took 681,000 trips to overseas countries in July, up 3.1% from June. This is the continuation of an upward trend that started in 2003.
About Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada produces statistics that help Canadians better understand their country — its population, resources, economy, society and culture. In Canada, providing statistics is a federal responsibility. As Canada’s central statistical agency, Statistics Canada is legislated to serve this function for the whole of Canada and each of the provinces. Visit www.statscan.ca.
