Canada saw a steady return of travelers, with both non-resident arrivals and Canadian residents returning from abroad reflecting solid growth. However, some areas showed slight declines compared to the previous year.
December 2024 witnessed a significant increase in the number of non-residents visiting Canada, driven largely by US residents. Approximately 1.7 million trips were made by US visitors, marking a notable 10.6% rise from December 2023. This increase was primarily seen in automobile travel, where US residents accounted for 71.9% of trips. Interestingly, the number of visitors arriving by air also saw an uptick, rising by 15.9% year-over-year.
The majority of these visitors entered Canada via key land border crossings. Points near Vancouver, Niagara, and Southwestern Ontario were among the busiest. In contrast, air arrivals continued to show resilience, with Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary airports handling the largest shares of US travelers, together comprising 91.4% of all air arrivals from the US.
However, overseas visitors showed more mixed results. A total of 446,600 overseas residents arrived in Canada in December 2024, a 4.9% drop from the previous year. The decline marks the third consecutive month of year-over-year reductions in overseas travel to Canada. Europe, Canada’s largest overseas market, provided a glimmer of hope with a 7.5% increase in arrivals from European countries. In particular, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany were major contributors to this boost. Nonetheless, visitors from other parts of the Americas, such as Brazil and Mexico, dropped significantly.
On the flip side, Canadian residents were highly active in international travel, returning from 4.1 million trips abroad. This represented a 6.0% increase from the previous year, though it fell short of pre-pandemic figures, reaching only 92.9% of the level seen in December 2019.
Trips to the United States were particularly dominant, with 52.4% of Canadian travelers heading south of the border. Notably, over two million of these were automobile trips, many of which were same-day visits. While travel to the US by automobile increased, air travel also showed its own healthy growth, rising by 4.6% compared to 2023 and exceeding December 2019 figures by 1.7%.
The busiest land border crossings for Canadians returning from the US were located in Southwestern Ontario, near Niagara, and near Vancouver, reflecting consistent travel corridors. As for air travel, major airports in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary welcomed the majority of Canadian returnees.
Adjusting for seasonal factors, December also saw month-to-month growth in international arrivals. Non-resident arrivals increased by 3.7%, continuing a trend of recovery since the summer of 2024. Visitors from Europe, especially from the UK, France, and Germany, led the charge with significant monthly gains, while air travel from Asia remained largely flat compared to the previous month.
For Canadian residents, the number of returnees from overseas countries dipped by 3.0%, ending a five-month streak of growth. However, travel from the United States showed a positive trend, with a 2.9% rise in Canadian-resident arrivals from the US compared to November.
Despite some setbacks in overseas arrivals, travel from the US continues to play a pivotal role in Canada’s tourism recovery. The steady increase in car travel, particularly from the United States, is likely influenced by ease of access and familiarity with cross-border trips. At the same time, air travel remains an essential mode of entry for both US and overseas visitors, particularly for those coming from far-flung destinations.
On the Canadian side, the growth in outbound travel is a sign of increasing confidence among Canadian residents in global travel opportunities. The substantial volume of automobile travel to the United States speaks to the continued importance of proximity and convenience, while the increased number of air travel returns underscores the resilience of international air networks.