Tourism spending in Canada increased 1.5% in the fourth quarter of 2024, following a 0.4% decline in the third quarter. Annually, tourism spending rose 3.6% in 2024, following a 15.3% increase in 2023. Tourism gross domestic product (GDProse 1.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and was up 3.8% annually. Tourism jobs increased 0.8% in the fourth quarter and rose 1.8% annually in 2024, reported Statistics Canada.
Passenger air transport (+2.8%) and accommodation services (+2.6%) were the main contributors to growth in tourism spending in the fourth quarter. Annually, passenger air transport spending (+7.4%) contributed the most to overall growth in 2024, said the federal agency.
It said tourism GDP rose 1.6% in the fourth quarter, following a 0.7% decrease in the third quarter. Accommodation services (+2.8%) and transportation (+1.6%) were the main contributors to overall growth. Economy-wide real GDP by industry rose 0.4% in the fourth quarter, and tourism’s share of GDP increased to 1.78% on a nominal basis. Annually, tourism GDP rose 3.8% in 2024, compared with the economy-wide real GDP by industry growth of 1.6%.
“The number of tourism jobs increased 0.8% in the fourth quarter, following flat growth in the third quarter. Tourism job growth in accommodation (+1.5%) and food and beverage (+0.9%) services was partially offset by a decline in travel services (-1.5%) in the fourth quarter. The total number of jobs in Canada rose 0.5% in the fourth quarter, while tourism’s share of jobs rose to 3.35%,” said Statistics Canada.
The report said spending by international visitors in Canada rose 2.2% in the fourth quarter, following a decline of 2.4% in the third quarter. Accommodation (+3.2%) and food and beverage (+3.0%) services were the main contributors to growth in the fourth quarter. Annually, spending by international visitors increased 8.0% in 2024, reaching 92.3% of the level observed in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Tourism spending in Canada by Canadians was up 1.3% in the fourth quarter, after a 0.2% increase in the third quarter. Domestic tourism spending on passenger air transportation (+3.3%), accommodation (+2.3%) and recreation and entertainment (+2.4%) were the main contributors to the rise in the fourth quarter. Notable events during the quarter included the Taylor Swift Eras tour performances in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as the world junior hockey championship hosted in Ottawa,” explained Statistics Canada.
Canadian travellers returning from the United States by automobile declined year-over-year in both January and February 2025 based on leading indicators. Total trips to Canada (both Canadian-resident return trips and non-resident trips) by air in February also posted a decline, it said.
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