Highlights
During the third quarter, Canadian residents took 105.0 million trips in Canada and abroad, up 5.3% from the same quarter in 2023 and an increase of 3.4% from the third quarter in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the trips from July to September 2024 were domestic (89.9%), followed by trips to the United States (7.6%) and overseas (2.5%).
Domestic travel
In the third quarter of 2024, Canadian residents took 94.3 million domestic trips, up 3.9% from the same quarter in 2023 and an increase of 3.0% from the same quarter in 2019. The number of overnight trips totalled 36.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, while the number of same-day trips was higher, at 57.7 million.
Canadian residents frequently cited their main purpose of the trip as holiday, leisure or recreation (47.0%), followed by visiting friends or relatives (35.0%).
From July to September, Canadian residents spent $27.4 billion on domestic travel, and although this was little changed from the third quarter of 2023, it was an increase of 26.7% from the same quarter in 2019. In the third quarter of 2024, the average amount spent per domestic trip was $291 ($124 for same-day trips and $553 for overnight trips), with an average trip length of 1.3 nights. The top expenditure categories were accommodations (22.9%), vehicle operations (17.8%), and restaurants and bars (16.5%).
Contact information
------For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).