Canada's tourism industry sees strong growth in early 2024, reports show

In the first quarter of 2024, Canada was the top destination mentioned by Americans when asked where they are most likely to fly for their next vacation. Canada was also ranked as a top three recommended destination in the U.K., France, Germany, and Australia.

Canada’s tourism sector is witnessing a robust recovery, drawing near pre-pandemic performance levels as revealed in the latest Quarterly Tourism Snapshot for Q1 2024. The report highlights significant milestones and persistent challenges facing the industry.

By March 2024, active tourism businesses in Canada were only 0.4 per cent below their pre-pandemic numbers, showing remarkable resilience despite lagging slightly behind the general business sector's recovery. However, travel services and passenger transportation services continue to struggle, still notably behind their pre-pandemic baselines.

Tourism employment has not fully bounced back either. The unemployment rate in the tourism sector stood at 7.1 per cent in March 2024, higher than the national average of 6.4 per cent, and 1.1 percentage points above the rate from March 2023. Although the overall Canadian labour force grew by 8.0 per cent above its pre-pandemic level, the tourism labour force remains 1.0 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. Job vacancies in the sector are significant, with 78,220 positions unfilled, accounting for 4.4 per cent of tourism jobs.

International visitation is nearly back to normal. Canada welcomed 2.9 million international overnight visitors in Q1 2024, reaching 96 per cent of 2019 levels. This included 2.0 million visitors from the U.S. (97 per cent of 2019 levels) and 918,000 visitors from other countries (92 per cent of 2019 levels). Canada remains a top destination for Americans and ranks highly among potential visitors from the U.K., France, Germany, and Australia.

Tourism spending continues to surpass pre-pandemic levels. Q1 2024 saw total tourism revenue at $23.1 billion, 115 per cent of the Q1 2019 baseline. This growth was driven by a surge in domestic tourism spending, which reached 121 per cent of 2019 levels, while international tourism spending was at 97 per cent of pre-pandemic figures.

Hotel occupancy rates across Canada in Q1 2024 were slightly below pre-pandemic levels, with declines in resort and urban areas contributing to the overall drop. Meanwhile, Canadian international air connectivity has rebounded to match 2019 levels, a significant improvement from the previous year. Domestic air connectivity, however, is recovering at a slower pace, reaching only 81 per cent of 2019 levels.

The sentiment towards tourism within Canada remains positive, despite a slight dip compared to the previous quarter. The General Sentiment Towards Tourism index sits 15 points above the global benchmark. Canadian residents continue to support tourism growth, albeit with some reservations.

International business events in Canada showed promising signs, reaching 87 per cent of 2019 levels in Q1 2024. However, the number of international delegates was lower than in 2023 due to smaller association events.

As Canada’s tourism industry paces toward full recovery, the resilience and adaptability of businesses and the sustained interest from international visitors are promising signs. While some sectors like travel services and passenger transportation face ongoing challenges, the overall outlook is positive, underscoring Canada’s enduring appeal as a top travel destination.

For detailed statistics and further insights, the full Quarterly Tourism Snapshot for Q1 2024 is available at the Tourism Data Collective.