Summer 2016 Travel Snapshot

In the newly released 2016 Summer Travel Snapshot, Visa Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) report that international Visa cardholders spent US$3.9 billion in Canada from May to September 2016.

Results of the report were released this week at TIAC’s annual Tourism Congress and it highlights a 9.2% increase over what visitors spent in 2015 and further solidifies the US and China as the top source markets for the Canadian tourism industry.

Using data collected by international Visa card holders, the 2016 Summer Snapshot provides:

• A breakdown of U.S. visitor spending by state, reveals California, New York and Washington leading for the second year in a row.
• The top 10 Canadian cities visited by travellers from the top five inbound countries — USA, China, France, the UK, and Germany.
• Insights into the categories of spending from international visitors including the revelation that international visitors spend almost 10 times more on restaurants than quick serve restaurants (i.e. fast food).

Rob Livingston, president and country manager for Visa Canada, observed: “As Canada welcomes international visitors in record numbers, Visa will continue to work hard to deliver innovations that enable safe, seamless payment experiences. Electronic payments have added billions of dollars to the tourism sector, and we are very pleased to partner with TIAC on the Travel Snapshot again this year.”

TIAC president & CEO, Charlotte Bell noted that: “The Travel Snapshot has become a valuable tool for the tourism industry to better understand the travel behaviour and spending habits of visitors to Canada from key markets around the world.”

And Bell pointed out that: “2017 is shaping up to be a huge year for Canadian tourism and TIAC is hopeful that this report helps businesses make the most of the opportunity.”

For the full report, click here.