01The ledger: trips and money
| Metric | Value | YoY | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips incl. a visit abroad | 9.1M | −24.4% | Q3 2025 (Jul–Sep), National Travel Survey |
| …of which the United States | 5.9M | −34.7% | 41.1% same-day; air returns −15.1% (Oct) |
| …of which overseas countries | 3.3M | +7.1% | the pivot line: overseas air returns +9.6% (Oct) |
| Overseas expenditures | $6.9bn | +4.2% | $2,094 avg per visit · 13.5 nights |
| US expenditures | $4.2bn | −24.0% | $148 same-day · $1,098 overnight · 5.3 nights |
StatCan perimeter: a trip may include several visits; the table counts visits. Monthly border series, October 2025: returns from the US −26.3% overall, by automobile −30.2% (67.5% same-day), by air from overseas +9.6%.
02Where Canadians went
| Destination | Visits / Δ | Signal | Perimeter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 471K | overseas № 1 | Q2 2025 visits |
| France | 319K | +49.1% | the jump of the year, Q2 2025 |
| United Kingdom | 279K | steady № 3 | Q2 2025 visits |
| Japan | +110K | +88.0% | largest volume increase, Q2 2025 |
| Spain | +105K | +70.5% | second-largest increase, Q2 2025 |
| Dominican Republic | −49K | −20.5% | the all-inclusive corridor cooled |
| Cuba | −38K | −21.1% | capacity and price, not politics |
| Thailand | −33K | −67.3% | steepest long-haul fall |
Destination detail publishes quarterly with a lag; Q2 2025 is the freshest full matrix. Directional read for 2026: Europe and Japan absorb what the US corridor gives up — the Caribbean shares it back on price.
03What the pivot is worth
The corridor that built the modern Caribbean and Florida resort map is being re-negotiated in real time. For destinations, the Canadian file in 2026 is a pricing story: the overseas traveller spends $2,094 per trip against $1,098 on a US overnight. Chase the pivot, not the volume — and quote in CAD.
Sources
- Statistics Canada — National Travel Survey & Visitor Travel Survey, Q3 2025 (24 Feb 2026)
- Statistics Canada — NTS/VTS, Q2 2025 (2 Dec 2025)
- Statistics Canada — Travel between Canada and other countries, October 2025 (22 Dec 2025)