Despite strong growth in South Korea and China, total international visitor arrivals were flat in October 2012, reports latest CTC Tourism Snapshot.
2013-01-10 — /travelprnews.com/ — Plus ça change, plus c’est pareil. At the end of another busy period in the international tourism marketplace, 1.2 million travellers came to Canada in October 2012, a mere -0.2% year-on-year slip, says the Tourism Snapshot just published by the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)’s Research department.
Some more facts and figures:
- The US market stayed in cruise control in October 2012. Overnight arrivals to Canada dipped a mere 0.4%, with a 3% fall in auto travel outweighing a 5% rise in air traffic.
- Year-to-date October 2012, our American friends have taken 10.5 million overnighters to Canada, up 2% on 2011.
- There were strong performances in the South Korea and China markets in October 2012, with visitor numbers to Canada rising 17% and 16% respectively.
- Both the Brazil (-11%) and India (-4%) markets suffered declines in overnight arrivals to Canada in October 2012.
- CTC’s European markets were still shrouded in the general euro-zone malaise, with Germany(-6%), the UK (-5%) and France (-2%) all sending fewer travellers west over the Atlantic in October 2012.
- Down Under, the Aussie appetite for Canada travel just gets more voracious: this market notched a strong 7% gain in visitor numbers in October 2012, a robust year-to-date growth of 6%.
- International visitors to Canada from CTC’s key international markets spent $2.5 billion in Q2 2012, up 4% on the same period in 2011.
- Brit travellers splashed out $228 million during their Canadian trips in Q2 2012, making them the biggest overseas-market spenders.
- Brazilian travellers registered the highest average spend per trip in Q2 2012 at $2,061. Their stays lasted longer (up 13% to an average 17.7 days) and they also spent more per night (up 10% to $116) than in 2011.
- The flow of Canadians to their borders kept its relentless growth in October 2012, climbing 5% year-on-year to reach 2.3 million trips abroad.
- Year-to-date October 2012, Canadians have taken 27.8 million international trips, up 6% on 2011.
- Better job prospects kept Canuck optimism relatively stable in October 2012. The Index of Consumer Confidence, released by The Conference Board of Canada slipped 1.1 points to 81.1.
- Americans kept up their recent momentum in October 2012. The Conference BoardConsumer Confidence Index constructed another rise, this time to 73.1, up 2.8 points on September.
The Tourism Snapshot examines statistics and travel trends up to Oct. 31, 2012, in CTC’s—and partners’—key global markets.