244 Million Trips Later: Inside Canadians’ Travel Shift to Discover Canada

In a special to Travel Press Today (TPT) Environics Analytics’ Sandra Ware provides some insights and perspective on the Canadian travel scene, writing: 

“In 2025, something shifted, domestic travel surged to 244 million trips nationwide, an 8.5% jump over 2024. Not Surprisingly Toronto led the charge, drawing Canadians at rates of almost 30% of their annual visitors.

But it wasn’t only domestic travel that surged in Canada. International visitors took notice too. Arrivals climbed meaningfully to the Canadian market, and when they came, they averaged nearly 10 nights per trip. In the Toronto area, trips from China rose 20% alone, with British and German visitors each rising almost 10%.

The American visitation story was more complex. Nationally, U.S. trips held relatively steady, but that headline masks a divided picture. Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland attracted more American trips than the year prior, so while Canadians might not have been going down south, our American neighbours still headed north for trips throughout the year.

This wasn’t the same feel good story for Canada’s largest tourism provinces when it came to American travel. Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec are falling short of previous year’s visitation, Quebec feeling the largest impact at a decline of 6%. America’s appetite for big-city Canadian travel cooled, while rural and western destinations quietly thrived.

As we enter the warmer season, the next chapter will be shaped by domestic travellers and understanding where they come from matters as much as knowing that they’re coming. Are they short-haul weekenders driving from nearby suburbs, or long-haul Canadians crossing provinces in search of new experiences? The answers will shape how the industry plans, promotes, and prepares.”

Interested to learn more about what’s happening your market? @ Get In Touch | Environics Analytics

Don’t Miss Environics Analytics’ Sophie Marai at TravelPress Live!

And travel advisors looking to better understand the future of customer engagement and AI-powered growth won’t want to miss Environics Analytics’ Sophie Marai at TravelPress Live! on June 17.

Marai, Vice President of Client Strategy at Environics Analytics, will take the stage for an insightful session on The AI Enabled Travel Journey: Navigating Tech Preferences to Optimize, Market and Scale.

So, get your tickets now for TravelPress Live! at www.travelpresslive.com