Tourism in Canada
Canada recorded a total of 3.06 million tourists in 2021, ranking 27th in the world in absolute terms.Without including the size of a country, such a ranking list may not be very meaningful. By putting the tourist numbers in relation to the population of Canada, the result is much more comparable picture: With 0.079 tourists per resident, Canada ranked 93rd in the world. In North America, it ranked 3rd.
In 2021, Canada generated around 13.09 billion US dollars in the tourism sector alone. This corresponds to 0.61 percent of its the gross domestic product and approximately 11 percent of all international tourism receipts in North America.
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Back to overview: Canada
Natural diversity
Canada is famous for its breathtaking nature. The endless forests, majestic mountains like the Rocky Mountains, and coastlines along the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans provide a spectacular backdrop for travelers. National parks such as Banff, Jasper, and Pacific Rim are popular destinations for nature lovers. Canada is also home to diverse wildlife, including bears, moose, whales, and numerous bird species. The country is also home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Dinosaur Provincial Park, L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, and Wood Buffalo National Park. In Canada's northern regions, such as the Northwest Territories and Yukon, you can see the spectacular Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), a fascinating natural spectacle.Canada's cities are melting pots of different cultures. Cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary are vibrant centers of culture, art, gastronomy and fashion. By the way, the old town of Québec is also a World Heritage Site.
Development of the tourism sector in Canada from 1995 to 2021
The following chart shows the number of tourist arrivals registered in Canada each year. Until 2005, tourists were defined as anyone who spent at least one night in the country but did not live there for longer than 12 months. Since 2006, same-day-visitors from neighboring countries are also included. Insofar as the survey included the purpose of the trip, business trips and other non-tourism travel purposes have already been excluded. The number of people passing through within the same day, and e.g., crew members of ships or flights are also not considered tourists in most countries. If the same person travels in and out more than once within the same year, each visit counts again.Data in the chart are given in millions of tourists. The red line represents the average of all 4 countries in North America. Please note the jump between 2005 and 2006, when the calculation method was changed to include day tourists. For the calculation of income and expenditure, this was already the case before.
Revenues from tourism
In 1995, tourism revenues amounted to 9.18 billion USD, or about 1.5 percent of the gross national product. Within 26 years, the country's dependence on tourism has increased slightly. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, sales were $29.79 billion billion, 1.7 percent of gross national product.In 2020, tourist receipts plummeted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the $29.79 billion billion (2019), only $13.54 billion billion remained. This is a 55 percent decrease in Canada.
On average, each of the tourists arriving in 2021 spent about 3,954 US dollars. Conversely, the inhabitants of Canada spend only around 1,247 dollars a year when they themselves spend vacations abroad.
All data for Canada in detail
| Year | Number | Receipts | % of GNP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.06 m | 13.09 bn $ | 0.65 % |
| 2020 | 2.96 m | 13.54 bn $ | 0.82 % |
| 2019 | 32.43 m | 29.79 bn $ | 1.7 % |
| 2018 | 31.27 m | 27.27 bn $ | 1.6 % |
| 2017 | 31.08 m | 25.08 bn $ | 1.5 % |
| 2016 | 30.14 m | 22.68 bn $ | 1.5 % |
| 2015 | 27.56 m | 20.32 bn $ | 1.3 % |
| 2014 | 25.56 m | 21.58 bn $ | 1.2 % |
| 2013 | 25.17 m | 20.89 bn $ | 1.1 % |
| 2012 | 25.32 m | 20.16 bn $ | 1.1 % |
| 2011 | 25.07 m | 19.99 bn $ | 1.1 % |
| 2010 | 25.62 m | 18.44 bn $ | 1.1 % |
| 2009 | 24.70 m | 15.58 bn $ | 1.1 % |
| 2008 | 27.37 m | 18.19 bn $ | 1.2 % |
| 2007 | 30.37 m | 17.96 bn $ | 1.2 % |
| 2006 | 33.39 m | 16.84 bn $ | 1.3 % |
| 2005 | 18.77 m | 15.89 bn $ | 1.4 % |
| 2004 | 19.15 m | 15.14 bn $ | 1.5 % |
| 2003 | 17.53 m | 12.24 bn $ | 1.4 % |
| 2002 | 20.06 m | 12.74 bn $ | 1.7 % |
| 2001 | 19.68 m | 12.68 bn $ | 1.7 % |
| 2000 | 19.63 m | 13.04 bn $ | 1.8 % |
| 1999 | 19.41 m | 12.02 bn $ | 1.8 % |
| 1998 | 18.87 m | 11.05 bn $ | 1.7 % |
| 1997 | 17.67 m | 10.39 bn $ | 1.6 % |
| 1996 | 17.29 m | 10.07 bn $ | 1.6 % |
| 1995 | 16.93 m | 9.18 bn $ | 1.5 % |
Our data on tourist numbers, revenues and expenditures are based on information from the World Tourism Organization. However, to ensure international comparability, the data for some years or countries were manually researched and corrected if they obviously included visitors without overnight stays. In these cases, the data were taken from the official communications of the respective national tourism authorities.
The World Tourism Organization additionally points out that in some countries, the number of tourists is only counted at airports, while in others they are also counted at border crossings or even hotels. A comprehensive and reliable indication is therefore hardly possible in any country.
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