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Canada at a Glance, 2022 Travel and tourism

• Table 23 Top domestic activities by decrease and by increase, third quarter 2021 compared with third quarter 2019
• Chart 31 Non-resident visitors arriving in Canada by commercial aircraft, June, 2019 to 2022
• Chart 32 Passengers carried by Canadian Level I air carriers, monthly, 2019 to 2022

Travel and tourism… in brief

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, travel and tourism were among the first- and hardest-hit sectors of the Canadian economy. Travel restrictions, border closures and business closures drastically curtailed non-resident arrivals to Canada and altered the travel behaviour of Canadians. As a result, some passenger industries, including airlines and urban transit, were devastated, while others continued to provide essential freight services, including rail and trucking. The food and accommodation industries, along with travel agencies and charter and sight-seeing activities suffered as the flow of international visitors to Canada was reduced to a trickle.

Did you know?

• April 2020 marked the first full month of border restrictions enacted around the world, which brought international travel to and from Canada to a virtual stop. The number of non-domestic arrivals to Canada from overseas countries (countries other than the United States) fell by 96.6%, while those from the United States were down 96.8%.
• Over two years later, in June 2022, the number of international arrivals landing at Canadian airports was nearing levels recorded before the pandemic. Estimates of non-resident visitors totalled 846,700, up sharply compared with the 26,200 arrivals observed in June 2021.

• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was far more damaging to the airline industry than any other global event, including the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, which were both associated with year-over-year drops of more than 25% in air passengers. In April 2020, Canada’s airlines reported a year-over-year drop of 97.0% in passengers carried.
• Just over two years later, in May 2022, the 5.3 million passengers on scheduled and charter services reported by Canada’s major airlines were the highest monthly total since before the pandemic. The industry has now recovered over three-quarters (77.3%) of its pre-pandemic traffic.
• During the busy summer travel season, from July to September 2021, fewer Canadians attended festivals or fairs, performances such as plays or concerts, or sporting events as spectators. Compared with the same period in 2019, relatively fewer Canadians reported attending such events, with declines of 82.1% for fairs and festivals, 74.5% for performances such as plays and concerts, and 48.2% for sporting events.
• By contrast, over the same period, more Canadians were engaging in outdoor activities. For example, relatively more travellers reported hiking or backpacking (+47.8%), cycling (+42.7%) and golfing (+35.9%) in the summer of 2021 as part of their domestic vacations.

To learn more

Travel and tourism statistics (statcan.gc.ca)

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Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co-operation and goodwill.

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• Tourism share of gross domestic product - Canada (Fourth quarter 2023) 1.58%

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Air passenger traffic and aircraft itinerant movements at Canadian airports

The interactive Dashboard for Air Travel is based on estimates from the Airport Activity Survey and the Aircraft Movement Statistics Survey. The Airport Activity Survey collects data on passengers enplaned and deplaned and cargo loaded and unloaded at Canadian airports. The Aircraft Movement Statistics Survey collects data on aircraft movements in Canada. Transportation Statistics: Interactive Dashboard

Canadian Tourism Activity Tracker

The Canadian Tourism Activity Tracker was an experimental product designed in 2021 to assess recovery of tourism activity in Canada. As currently designed, the Tracker has fulfilled this purpose and will no longer be updated after the December 2022 release.

About the Tourism Statistics Program

The Tourism Statistics Program produces detailed statistics on travellers travelling to, from and within Canada, as well as information on travellers' characteristics and spending. The program also provides information to the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts which produces data on travel and tourism expenditures, employment and gross domestic product.

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Application for a Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa - TRV)

You need to give your biometrics.

In most cases, you now need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) after you apply.

Find out who needs to give biometrics and how the new application process works.

Biometrics and the application process

We refer to your fingerprints and photo as biometrics. We collect biometrics for most applications. Find out what happens from when you submit your application to when you get to Canada and where biometrics fits in the process.

1. Apply for your visitor visa, study permit or work permit

If you want to visit, study or work in Canada, make sure you’re eligible to apply. Use our application guides to help fill out your application properly, then submit your application.

Avoid processing delays by sending us a complete application .

2. Get your fingerprints and photo taken

If you’re between 14 and 79 years old, you probably need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics).You only need to give your biometrics once every 10 years to make repeat trips to Canada easier.

• You must pay the  biometrics fee   when you submit your application.  Otherwise you may experience delays.
• Get this done  as soon as you get the letter  from us that tells you to give biometrics.
• You have  30 days  to do this from the date on the letter.

Find out who needs to give , how to give , and  where to give your biometrics .

COVID-19: Biometrics deadline

Some biometrics collection sites are closed. If the site closest to you is closed, we’ll extend your deadline to give your biometrics. Find out how COVID-19 is affecting biometrics .

3. We process your application

After we get your biometrics, we start processing your application. See how long it takes to process your application.

If we need more information from you, we’ll contact you.

4. We make a decision on your application

When we finish reviewing your application, we let you know if you’re approved to come to Canada. If you are, we issue your documents.

If your application is refused, we send you a letter that tells you why.

5. You travel to Canada (if you’re approved)

Make sure you travel with the documents we gave you. This includes travel documents like a visitor visa, study or work permits or an eTA (electronically linked to your passport).

Airline staff and border service officers at ports of entry will ask to see your travel documents. If you don’t have them, you may not be able to board your flight to Canada.

Make sure children under 18 travel with the right documents .

6. We check your identity when you arrive in Canada

When you arrive, we check your identity to make sure that you are the same person who was approved to travel to Canada. We may use your biometrics to do this.

If we can’t verify your identity, you may be detained by a border services officer. These officers help protect the health and safety of Canadians.

If the officer determines that you’re not admissible to Canada, you won’t be allowed to enter Canada. If you came by air, you’ll have to take a return flight to where you came from.

7. You’re allowed to enter Canada

If you pass the identity check and meet the entry requirements , the border services officer stamps your passport and lets you know how long you can stay in Canada. You’re normally allowed to stay in Canada for up to six months.

Children under 18 must meet the same entry requirements as adults. The border services officer may ask minor children to show other documents depending on whether the child is travelling alone or with someone.

Basic entry requirements

You must meet some basic requirements to enter Canada. You must:

• have a valid travel document, like a passport
• be in good health
• have no criminal or immigration-related convictions
• convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country
• convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit
• The amount of money you will need depends on how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives.

Some people are not admissible to Canada, which means they are not allowed to enter the country. You can be inadmissible for several reasons, including being involved in:

• criminal activity
• human rights violations
• organized crime

You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons.

Find out more about inadmissibility .

Biometrics fee

• Individual  applicant: CAD $85
• Families applying at the same time : maximum total fee of CAD $170
• Groups of 3 or more performing artists and their staff  who apply for work permits at the same time: maximum total fee of $CAD 255

You can apply online or on paper (in specific situations) for:

• visitor visas (also known as temporary resident visas)
• super visas (for parents and grandparents)
• transit visas

Apply online

Before you apply, make sure you need a visa to enter Canada. Find out what document you need to enter Canada .

You must have both of these to apply online:

• access to a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents to upload
• a valid credit card to pay with

How you apply depends on what you apply for. Select the document you want to apply for to get instructions:

Visitor visa : Option 1 of 3

Apply for a visitor visa

Super visa (for parents and grandparents) : Option 2 of 3

Apply for a super visa

Transit visa : Option 3 of 3

Apply for a transit visa

Apply on paper (in specific situations)

Before you apply , make sure you need a visa to enter Canada. Find out what document you need to enter Canada .

Read the instruction guide to get all the details to apply on paper.

• Instruction Guide 5256

Once you have read the guide, you can prepare your application package. You must select the country or territory from which you will apply to get your local visa office instructions.

Permanent residents of Canada

We do not issue temporary resident visas (TRV) to permanent residents (PR). If you are outside Canada without a valid PR card, you must apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) instead. If you meet the requirements for a PRTD, you can return to Canada as a PR.

If you no longer want to be a PR, or if you know you do not meet the requirements to keep your PR status, you can voluntarily give up (renounce) your PR status to apply for a TRV.

Application for Temporary Resident Visa

You can’t fill out and save the application form using your Internet browser. To use the form, you need to:

• Use your computer (Mac or PC). The form won’t open on mobile devices (iPads, tablets, mobile phones, etc.)
• Install Adobe Reader 10 (or higher)
• Download the PDF file to your computer . Save the file in a place you can remember.
• Make sure you use Adobe Reader to open the form. Sometimes if you try to open the form directly, it will use your Internet browser to try to open it.

Note: If you are applying online , you don’t need to print and sign the form. Leave the signature section empty.

Get the form

• Application for Temporary Resident Visa [IMM 5257] (PDF, 556.66 KB) June 2019

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Government of Canada to announce support for the tourism sector in the Niagara region

From: Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Media advisory

The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism, on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), will make an important announcement for tourism businesses and organizations in the Niagara region.

May 30, 2024  – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism, on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), will make an important announcement for tourism businesses and organizations in the Niagara region. Minister Ferrada will be joined by Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre and Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines.

A media availability will follow the in-person announcement.

Please note that details are subject to change. All times are local.

Date:  Friday, May 31, 2024

Time:  3:30 p.m.

Location:        Byland Estate Winery 834 Line 3 Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario L0S1J0

R.S.V.P:  Please submit your request to [email protected] .

Edward Hutchinson Press Secretary Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario [email protected]

FedDev Ontario Media Relations [email protected]

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