The Ides of March 2011 for Canada travel looked very much like the fables of February. Only Brazil, China and France of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)’s key international markets posted improvements in overnight arrival numbers to Canada in March ’11.

This was largely due to the increased traffic during March ’10 caused by the 2010 Winter Gamesand a much earlier Easter break last year, according to the latest Tourism Snapshot, just published by the CTC’s Research department.  

Here are some other key stats:

• There was a 4% year-on-year dip in Americans overnighting in Canada in March ’11. However, that was a moderate fall compared with February’s 9% drop.

• Travellers from the US took to the skies more in March, up 3% on the same month last year. This contributed to a 1% improvement on Q1 2010’s data.

• However, the number of Americans coming to Canada in March ’11 by automobile fell 8%, while “other” modes of travel dipped 2% over 2010.

• Saskatchewan (13%) and Nova Scotia (8%) were the only provinces or territories to see more proud owners of Old Glory in March 2011.

• Overall, overnight visitor arrival numbers fell 6% in March ’11 compared with the previous year. This played its part in a 5% year-on-year stumble for those figures, with the total hitting just 2.1 million.

• Figures from countries other than CTC’s key markets also took a dent, contracting by 9% in the first quarter of 2011.

• The France market (1%) stood proudly as the only European market to report an increase in monthly arrivals to Canada, the 11^th consecutive month of doing so.

• The Germany and UK markets felt the pinch in March ‘11, with year-on-year drops of 22% and 20% respectively.

• Brazil (44%) and China (9%) showed the rest how to do it with healthy gains in visitor numbers.

• Canadians still flooded over the border in March 2011: outbound travel rose 5% on the previous year to reach three million trips.  

• Uh, oh. Canadian consumer confidence got shaky in March ‘11. The Index of Consumer Confidence, released by The Conference Board of Canada, fell to 83.7, down 5.6 points on Feb. ‘11.

• Uh, oh #2: The US got the jitters as well. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index sank to 63.4, down 8.6 points. 

The Tourism Snapshot examines statistics and travel trends up to March 31, 2011, in CTC’s—and partners’—key global markets.

Read the latest Tourism Snapshot in full.