Friday, October 19, 2007

Canada tourism statistics: 600,000 grade for the 6 month

Canadians are heading abroad in record numbers with their robust dollar. While the United States stays the most popular destination, overseas trips in August surpassed the 600,000 grade for the 6th calendar month this year, Statistics Canada figs show. Before this year, the 600,000 grade had never been reached. Spain, Italy, Republic Of Croatia and Eire are popular this year, with peculiar focusing on Mediterranean Sea cruises, travel agents said. In recent weeks, engagements have got shifted to sun musca volitans such as as United Mexican States and the Caribbean.

Where once Canadians opted for cheaper package tours, now they're willing to book hotels and air separately. "We've been on an addition since the dollar's been going up for the past year," said Allison Eaton, Vancouver-based spokeswoman for the Flight Centre. "I definitely attribute a batch of that to the strong dollar." When the loonie hit para last month, questions instantly jumped 10 per cent, she said.

The rise in travel is welcome intelligence for touristry South of the boundary line but unreassuring for an economic system that is seeing less of its disbursement take topographic point at home. A batch of that disbursement is being made by Canadians making trips to the U.S., with nightlong air travel hitting a record in August. Nightlong corset by car jumped 14.1 per cent between August of this twelvemonth and last, while airplane trips to the U.S. climbed 7.9 per cent.

Same-day car trips also continued to swell. Although more than current Statscan figs aren't available yet, the moving ridge likely continued as the Canadian dollar hit para inch September and touched $1.02 (U.S.) in October, impulse that's spurring U.S. tourer agencies to hike marketing in Canada. "We have got programs to increase our visibleness in the Canadian market as it associates to touristry marketing," said Chris Heywood, spokesman for NYC & Co., New York's marketing and touristry organization.

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