Offshore Travel Offsets US Decline

Is the sagging loonie decimating demand for travel worldwide?

Not according to the latest data out of Ottawa, reports Montreal editor Mike Dunbar in this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.

In fact, Canada’s travel trade may be gaining on the offshore air travel swing what it’s losing on the trans-border roundabout.

That appears to be the case according to an analysis of year-end 2015 volumes compiled by StatsCan.

The raw numbers show that some 280,000 fewer Canadian residents travelled by air to the US last year than they did in 2014.

That represented a drop of 3.3%; a major turnaround following years of consistent growth.

On the other hand, one million more Canadians flew to the rest of the world during the same one-year period, representing a substantial 9.6% rise.

While our dollar may be floundering against the greenback, it’s not alone. Other major currencies have also taken a dive, putting Canadians on a more even currency exchange basis, thereby giving them an affordability break.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier by clicking here.