Brazil is an emerging market for the Canadian tourism sector. It reported modest gains in both overnight arrivals (up 3.9%) and spending (up 1.5%) in 2011. Canada welcomed approximately 74,100 overnight travellers from Brazil in 2011 who injected $136.1 million into Canada’s tourism economy.

Find out what motivates Canadian outbound travel in order to gain insight into the types of travel influences that might also encourage Canadians to explore travel in their own country.

Overnight arrivals from China soared following the granting of Approved Destination Status (ADS) to Canada in June 2010, increasing 21% in 2010 and by a further 22.4% in 2011. In the process, China went from the sixth- to the fourth-largest overseas inbound market to Canada in terms of both overnight arrivals and export revenues. Canada welcomed approximately 236,600 overnight travellers from China in 2011, who injected $408 million in Canada’s tourism economy.

France, Canada’s second-largest overseas inbound travel market, recorded a 3.4% increase in overnight trips to Canada in 2011 for a total of 421,800 trips. French overnight travellers spent more than $537.7 million, up 2% over 2010.

Canada welcomed approximately 290,200 overnight travellers from Germany in 2011, down 8%. These visitors injected $448.9 million into Canada’s tourism economy in 2011, down 5.8%.

India

India is a growing emerging market for the Canadian tourism sector. Canada welcomed approximately 162,900 overnight travellers from India in 2011, up 8.7%. These visitors injected $160.9 million in Canada’s tourism economy, up a healthy 11.2%.

Japan

Following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami events, overnight arrivals from Japan contracted by 13.4%, reaching 186,600 trips in 2011. Total spending from Japanese travellers in Canada was $307.2 million in 2011, a 6.9% year-over-year decline.

Following the introduction of visa requirement for Mexicans travelling to Canada in July 2009, overnight visitation to Canada contracted by 48% over the first year, after which overnight visits from Mexico increased by 6% in the subsequent period between August 2010 and July 2011 and by a further 13% over the following 12 months to July 2012. In 2011, Mexicans made 124,300 overnight trips to Canada, which accounted for $176 million in tourism receipts, a 12% year-over-year increase.

Canada welcomed approximately 140,100 overnight travellers from South Korea in 2011. These visitors injected $230 million in Canada’s tourism economy.

The UK represents Canada’s largest inbound overseas travel market. In 2011, the number of UK overnight visitors to Canada fell 5.8% to 622,700 trips, while expenditures contracted by 2.4% to $791.6 million.

US leisure travel represents Canada’s largest inbound travel market, accounting for 62% of all overnight inbound travellers in 2011. US leisure travel to Canada slipped 2.9% in 2011 to 9,713,500 overnight trips. US leisure overnight travellers injected $4.6 billion in Canada’s tourism economy.