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

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Canada Tourist Arrivals

Tourist arrivals in canada decreased to 1189366 in january from 1993965 in december of 2023. tourist arrivals in canada averaged 2845256.68 from 1972 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 7006165.00 in july of 1999 and a record low of 67654.00 in april of 2020. source: statistics canada,   markets,   gdp,   labour,   prices,   money,   trade,   government,   business,   consumer,   housing,   taxes,   energy,   health,   climate.

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Canada Visitor Arrivals

• Canada Visitor Arrivals recorded 979,017 person in Feb 2024, compared with 770,913 person in the previous month
• Canada Visitor Arrivals data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1972 to Feb 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 3,388,299 person in Jul 2019 and a record low of 23,621 person in Apr 2020

View Canada's Visitor Arrivals from Jan 1972 to Feb 2024 in the chart:

What was Canada's Visitor Arrivals in Feb 2024?

Canada Visitor Arrivals recorded 979,017 person in Feb 2024, compared with 770,913 person in the previous month See the table below for more data.

Visitor Arrivals by Country Comparison

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Number of inbound tourists to Canada, by region 2014-2019

Number of international tourists visiting canada from 2014 to 2019, by region of origin (in millions).

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January 2021

2014 to 2019

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• Countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide 2019-2022

Countries with the highest inbound tourism receipts worldwide 2019-2022

Inbound tourism volume in Spain 2023, by origin

Inbound tourism volume in Spain 2023, by region of destination

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2024 consultations on immigration levels

Current status : Open

May 8, 2024 to June 30, 2024

Every year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) engages with a wide range of stakeholders and partners from across the country to help us shape Canada’s next multi-year Immigration Levels Plan , which will be announced in the fall of 2024.

On this page

What’s new in 2024, we want to hear from you, planning canada’s immigration levels, how people come to canada.

Traditionally, the Immigration Levels Plan has included a projection of how many permanent residents would be admitted to Canada in a given year, and set targets for overall admissions per immigration category. It built on ongoing work to strengthen our immigration system and spread the benefits of immigration to communities across the country.

In 2024, we are expanding the scope of the Immigration Levels Plan by including temporary resident arrivals in addition to permanent residents in an effort to better align our immigration system with the needs of the country.

As such, we’re seeking your views on the balance among different categories and programs, and how immigration can best support Canada from multiple perspectives.

If you’re interested in providing feedback to help inform the next 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan and the department’s ongoing work, we invite you to complete our online survey .

Our survey may not automatically save your draft responses, so you may wish to prepare your answers in advance. You can review the questions by downloading the online survey (PDF, 213 KB) .

If you would like to include other perspectives from within your organization, we encourage you to consult with your colleagues and submit one response on behalf of your organization.

We kindly ask that you submit your responses by June 30, 2024.

Your advice will inform immigration levels planning for the coming years, and help us deliver better policies, programs and services. We appreciate your time and input in this engagement process, and we thank you in advance for sharing your views with us!

The  Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) requires the minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to table a projection of permanent resident admissions (the Immigration Levels Plan) in Parliament every year. This multi-year plan details how many immigrants Canada will welcome as permanent residents under the economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian programs. It renews each year on a rolling 3-year time frame, setting out firm targets and ranges for the first year, and notional targets for the second and third years to provide flexibility to adjust to any developments or changes in reality.

This year, the Immigration Levels Plan will also include notional targets for temporary resident arrivals, in addition to permanent residence admissions.

The current 2023–2025 Immigration Levels Plan proposes to increase the number of permanent residents Canada welcomes annually to

• 485,000 in 2024
• 500,000 in 2025
• stabilize at 500,000 in 2026

We’re now looking at the next 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, and we are seeking your input to

• determine whether permanent resident admission targets for 2025 and 2026 should be adjusted
• inform new targets for 2027

A number of considerations are taken into account when developing the Immigration Levels Plan, including:

• objectives for immigration, as set out in the IRPA
• government priorities and policies
• economic and regional needs across Canada, including the needs of various sectors in the context of a loosening labour market and rising inflation
• international obligations with respect to refugees and offering protection to those in need
• the ability of IRCC and its partner departments to screen and process applications in a timely manner
• the capacity to settle, integrate, and retain newcomers (settlement services, housing accessibility and affordability, public infrastructure, health care services, etc.)

The plan is designed to contribute to an immigration system that supports diversity and helps build vibrant, dynamic, and inclusive communities, while ensuring the safety and security of Canadians.

Since 2017, there have been steady increases in admissions that trend towards 1.25% of Canada’s population by 2025 . The most recent plan stabilizes growth at that threshold in 2026.

In addition to seeking feedback on how many people to welcome, we’re interested in hearing your thoughts on the appropriate mix (or distribution) of permanent residents across the main immigration classes. In the current Immigration Levels Plan, for 2025

• the economic classes account for just over 60% of total admissions
• the family classes represent almost 24%
• the refugee and humanitarian classes account for just over 16%

This year, for the first time, we are also asking for your feedback on arrival targets for temporary residents. The inclusion of international students and temporary workers reflects our commitment to have a plan that reflects newcomers with both permanent and temporary resident status, taking into account the supports required to welcome them into our communities, while emphasizing a distinct whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach to immigration.

There are 2 ways for people to come to Canada. They can come as either:

• temporary residents to visit, study or work in Canada for a limited time, or
• permanent residents to settle in Canada and eventually become eligible for citizenship

Temporary residents

Temporary residents can be visitors travelling to Canada for business or leisure, international students who come to study in Canada for more than 6 months, or foreign nationals who are authorized to work in Canada. Temporary foreign workers may come to work for a specific employer and fill current skills shortages through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, or via the International Mobility Program to support Canada’s broader economic, cultural, or other competitive interests. For the purposes of setting targets, visitors will not be included as part of immigration levels planning.

Permanent residents

Permanent residence grants many rights and responsibilities, including the right to live, work or study anywhere in Canada. It also grants social benefits, including health care coverage and access to settlement and integration services. If permanent residents meet the requirements set out in the Citizenship Act – including being physically present in Canada for a defined number of days, demonstrating their knowledge of Canada and one of its official languages, filing income tax returns, and not being subject to prohibitions (such as criminality) – they can also be granted citizenship and become naturalized Canadians.

There are a few different immigration classes and categories of permanent residents to Canada.

Economic immigration

Canada selects economic immigrants (including their immediate family members) for their ability to contribute to the country’s economy. Newcomers work every day to create jobs, care for our loved ones, and support local businesses. They enrich and better our communities, and allow us to overcome challenges in critical industries and sectors of the economy.

Economic immigrants can come through a variety of programs, including the

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

These 3 federal programs are managed through Express Entry , our online application system for skilled workers, such as those with work experience in managerial, professional, and technical or trades occupations.

Skilled workers who want to become permanent residents of Canada and live in Quebec apply through a different process , as the province of Quebec has its own rules for choosing immigrants by virtue of a special agreement on immigration with the Government of Canada.

In addition to the programs above, IRCC continues to invest in other economic immigration programs and pilots, such as the 

• Atlantic Immigration Program
• Agri-Food Pilot
• Provincial Nominee Program
• Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

Given the success of the  Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot , which will be ending on August 31, 2024, IRCC recently announced the launch of two new pilots (the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot) in the fall of 2024.

Those who provide care for children, the elderly, or people with medical needs are also eligible for certain pilot programs or may work temporarily as a caregiver . These initiatives are tailored to attract a broad range of talented people to the country, contribute to the development of communities, and fill specific labour market needs.

Canada also has 2 business immigration programs:

• The Start-up Visa Program attracts immigrant entrepreneurs who have Canadian support to launch and build their start-up company in Canada (outside Quebec)
• The Self-employed Persons Program provides a pathway to permanent residence for those with experience in cultural activities or athletics, though application intake for this program is currently paused

The province of Quebec also has its own rules for selecting business immigrants who wish to settle in Quebec.

Family reunification

Family reunification has been an important pillar of Canada’s immigration policy. Through the Family Reunification Program , Canadian citizens and permanent residents are able to sponsor certain categories of family members to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents.

The program allows for the sponsorship of spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners, dependent children (biological or adopted), parents and grandparents, and other relatives in special circumstances, such as orphaned relatives under the age of 18 or a last remaining relative.

The program supports the reunification of separated, pre-existing families, and facilitates family formation. It also interacts with other immigration and refugee programs and complements them.

Refugees, protected persons, and persons in Canada on humanitarian grounds

Canada shows a strong commitment to its humanitarian goals by resettling refugees and recognizing those persons in need of protection by granting them asylum.

Each year, millions of people from around the world are forced to flee their homeland to escape persecution, war or severe human rights abuses. Canada helps those at risk through our resettlement and asylum programs. Learn more about Canada’s refugee system.

Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Program is a long-standing humanitarian tradition, grounded in the 1951 Refugee Convention and the IRPA, to provide protection to those at risk. Upon arrival in Canada, resettled refugees become permanent residents. Resettled refugees can be admitted to Canada via one of the following 3 resettlement programs

• Government-Assisted Refugees Program
• Privately Sponsored Refugees Program
• Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugees Program

Protected persons in Canada are people who applied for refugee protection status while in Canada and whom the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada has determined to be a Convention refugee or in need of protection in Canada.

Some people may also qualify for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds . Applying for consideration under such grounds is an exceptional measure, and requires justification to grant an exemption to an individual who may not be eligible to apply for permanent residence from within Canada through other immigration classes.

If you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to email the Consultations and Stakeholder and Partner Engagement team .

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Maldives lays red carpet for Indians after 42% dip in tourists

In may, the maldivian tourism minister appealed to indians to be part of the country's tourism as its economy depended on it. its foreign minister will be in india on may 9. the maldives is reaching out to indians after tourists from india to the country dipped by 42% in the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023..

Listen to Story

• Maldives received 42,638 tourists from India between January and April 2024
• Sees decline of 31,147 tourists compared to same period last year
• This resulted in a revenue loss of Rs 468 crore or $56 million

"Please be a part of the Maldives' tourism. Our economy depends on tourism," Maldivian tourism minister Ibrahim Faisal recently appealed to Indian tourists amid a significant decline in tourist arrivals from India since the diplomatic row between the two countries erupted in January.

Indian tourists to the Maldives dipped by 42% in the first four months of this year in comparison to the same period in 2023.

Tourism Minister Faisal's remark during an interview was the latest in a string of attempts by the Maldives to woo Indian tourists back after Maldivian Tourism Ministry statistics that showed how India, from being a top visitor country, slipped to sixth position.

At the same time, there has been a steep increase in the number of Chinese tourists.

Four months ago, the scenario was quite different. Indian tourists were the highest foreign visitors to the Maldives in 2023 and China was in third spot.

HOW THE MALDIVES IS TRYING TO WOO INDIAN TOURISTS

The dropping footfalls have prompted the Maldives to reach out to India in a bid to woo back tourists.

Maldivian Tourism Minister Faisal was the latest to acknowledge the pitfalls of an 'Indian-mukt' Maldives tourism. Citing the historical ties between the two countries, Faisal said in an interview, "We always promote peace and a friendly environment. Our people and the government will give a warm welcome to Indian arrivals."

Days ago, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) held a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives and discussed "collaborative efforts to promote tourism". The tourism body also stated that it would hold road shows across key Indian cities to promote the Maldives as a tourism destination.

"Plans are currently underway to launch comprehensive road shows across key Indian cities and to facilitate influencer and media familiarisation trips to the Maldives in the upcoming months," the association said in a statement while calling India a "crucial tourist market" to the Maldives.

Moreover, Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer is also coming to India for his first high-level ministerial visit.

Foreign Minister Zameer is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday and regional issues are likely to be among the topics up for discussion.

The developments come as ties between the Maldives and India nosedived following derogatory remarks by three Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media last year.

The row started after PM Modi visited Lakshadweep in the first week of January and shared images of its pristine landscape. PM Modi's posts were seen in the Maldives as the promotion of Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination to the island nation.

IN THIS STORY

Maldives Development Update 2024

The Maldives Development Update (MDU) has two main goals. First, it takes the pulse of the Maldivian economy by providing key developments over the past 12 months. Placing these in a global context, and based on these recent developments, it analyzes the outlook over the medium term. Second, every other edition of the MDU provides a more in-depth investigation of selected economic and policy issues. It has a wide audience including policymakers, policy analysts from think tanks or non-governmental organizations, and business and financial sector professionals interested in Maldives’ economic development.

Click here to download the latest Maldives Development Update (May, 2024).

RECENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

In 2023, the number of tourist arrivals reached a record-breaking figure of 1.88 million. Nevertheless, this did not result in higher GDP growth due to lower per-tourist spending and shorter stays. The Maldivian economy is estimated to have grown by 4% in 2023. Domestic inflation, at 2.9% in 2023, remained higher than the historical average of 0.5%. Price increases were experienced in the food, education, restaurant, and lodging services sectors. Food inflation could increase poverty by 0.4 percentage points, with atolls experiencing even higher rates.

Travel export receipts fell 6.8%, while merchandise imports remained elevated at $3.5 billion. This resulted in a current account deficit of 23.4% of GDP. High import costs and external debt repayments also weighed heavily on gross reserves, which fell to $551.1 million in January 2024. Failure to implement planned subsidy reforms, combined with rising recurrent and capital spending, resulted in a sharp increase in total expenditure and a fiscal deficit of 13.2% of GDP in 2023.

Tourism, which accounts for a quarter of the Maldives' economy, has experienced slower growth in 2023 due to a decline in average duration of stay and lower tourist spending. This slowdown has exposed underlying economic vulnerabilities in the Maldives.

These vulnerabilities stem from persistent large current account and fiscal deficits. The country relies heavily on imports while having limited official reserves, creating an unsustainable imbalance. Government support for struggling state-owned enterprises (SOEs), along with blanket subsidies, high capital spending, and a public health program, further exacerbate these pressures.

While these subsidies and in-kind transfers are crucial for boosting household incomes, their unsustainable nature raises concerns. When fiscal pressures mount, the Maldivian people's well-being could be negatively impacted. Additionally, infrastructure projects, although promising long-term growth, were financed through non-concessional external borrowing and sovereign guarantees. The rising cost of borrowing abroad has forced the government to turn towards domestic sources, increasing the domestic financial sector’s vulnerability to government debt.

The government recently announced its commitment to a fiscal reform agenda to address these economic vulnerabilities. This agenda includes reforms to subsidies, SOEs, the public health insurance scheme (Aasandha), and reprioritizing capital spending. These reforms offer a path towards a more resilient Maldivian economy.

The economy is projected to grow by 4.7% over the medium-term, supported by tourism, a decrease from the pre-pandemic average of 7.4%. This growth is based on expected fiscal adjustments, including subsidy reforms and reduced public expenditure and investments. This slowdown also means slower poverty reduction in 2024.

The fiscal deficit is expected to remain high in 2024 due to ambitious spending plans .The proposed fiscal reform package is expected to help but a more sustainable fiscal path requires a larger adjustment, particularly through cuts in non-essential capital and untargeted recurrent spending.

Inflation is expected to rise due to the removal of blanket subsidies, potentially driving poverty by 2.5 percentage points. The current account deficit is expected to remain high due to commodity price pressures and capital imports for infrastructure projects. Rising external financing needs, including debt servicing, are expected to sustain pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

Major downside risks include a shock to the tourism sector, limited domestic and external financing, and a widening current account deficit. To maintain macroeconomic stability, a major fiscal adjustment and a multi-year reform plan are required, along with a targeted transfer mechanism to offset welfare losses among vulnerable groups.

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Leading indicator of international arrivals to canada, september 2021, archived content.

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please " contact us " to request a format other than those available.

This page has been archived on the Web.

Released: 2021-10-12

September saw the number of international arrivals to Canada increase from the same month last year, but remain well below the pre-pandemic levels of September 2019.

There were over 11 times as many non-resident travellers arriving from abroad in Canadian airports equipped with electronic kiosks during September 2021 compared with September 2020.

Meanwhile, the number of Canadian residents returning from abroad via the same airports was roughly six-and-a-half times greater than September 2020.

US residents made 328,200 trips to Canada through land ports with electronic sensors in September 2021—over 260,000 more than in September 2020.

Likewise, there were over 50,000 more Canadians who returned from the United States (202,400) through the same land ports this September than in September 2020.

This release provides a first glimpse into international arrivals to Canada in September 2021. Complete counts will be available with September's " Travel between Canada and other countries " release on November 22, 2021.

Canada continues to ease restrictions

As provincial governments continue to ease restrictions, the federal government has started opening Canada's borders to all fully vaccinated international travellers. As was announced on July 19, Canada began allowing entry to fully vaccinated foreign nationals for discretionary reasons (primarily non-essential travel) on September 7, 2021.

Non-resident arrivals by air

Arrivals of non-resident s—o verseas countries (138,200) and the United States (105,300)—at Canadian airports equipped with Primary Inspection Kiosks (PIKs) numbered 243,500 in September, up from 21,500 in September 2020. Despite this increase, it is less than one-third (29.0%) of the 838,700 such arrivals during the same month in 2019.

In the first six days of September, when the border remained closed to non-essential travel by air, overseas residents averaged 2,800 trips per day. After the border was opened to fully vaccinated overseas arrivals, this average reached 6,100 for the six days after.

The PIK system was fully implemented in Toronto/Pearson Terminal 1 on June 22, 2021, and these counts are included in this leading indicator, starting with the July reference period. Infographic 1 shows the counts for September, both including and excluding international arrivals at Toronto/Pearson Terminal 1.

Infographic 1  Non-resident air travellers arriving in Canada, September 2019, 2020 and 2021

Non-resident arrivals by car

In September, US residents took 328,200 trips to Canada in US-licensed automobiles through 111 land ports equipped with the automated Integrated Primary Inspection Line ( IPIL ) application. While over five times higher than the 64,700 trips taken in September 2020, it was less than one-third (29.8%) of the 1.1 million US arrivals by car during the same month in 2019.

Infographic 2  US residents entering Canada in US-licensed automobiles, September 2019, 2020 and 2021

Canadians returning by air

The number of Canadian residents flying back from abroad in September via airports equipped with PIKs was 431,300, up from 67,200 in September 2020, but less than one half from the same month in 2019.

Again, some of the increase from September 2020 to September 2021 reflects the inclusion of international arrivals at Toronto/Pearson Terminal 1. Either including or excluding these arrivals, there were more returning Canadians flying home in September 2021.

Infographic 3  Canadian residents returning by air from abroad, September 2019, 2020 and 2021

Canadians returning by car

In September, there were 202,400 Canadian residents who returned from the United States in Canadian-licensed automobiles via the 111  IPIL equipped ports. While more than the 151,900 travellers recorded in September 2020, it is less than one-tenth (9.2%) of the 2.2 million who drove back across the border by car during the same month in 2019.

Infographic 4  Canadian residents returning from the United States in Canadian-licensed automobiles, September 2019, 2020 and 2021

  Note to readers

This indicator uses administrative data from the Canada Border Services Agency on international travellers entering the country by automobile and by air.

Counts of travellers entering the country by air are from the Primary Inspection Kiosk ( PIK ) system and represent a subset of arrivals by air. Pre-pandemic PIK systems captured approximately 58% of international arrivals, as it excluded Toronto/Pearson Terminal 1 where PIKs were not yet deployed.

PIKs have been deployed at Toronto/Pearson Terminal 1 since June 22, 2021, and starting with the July reference period, these arrivals are included in the total counts and will raise coverage accordingly. The coverage statement will be amended when a complete year of international traffic is observed for all Canadian airports receiving international flights.

Counts of cross-border travel by automobile through 111 land ports equipped with the automated Integrated Primary Inspection Line ( IPIL ) system are available by the traveller's state or province of residence, based on the licence plate of the automobile, and by the province of entry into Canada.

The IPIL data are a subset of Canadian and US residents entering Canada by automobile and exclude some crossings. In 2020, the 111  IPIL ports captured approximately 80% of cross-border automobile traffic between Canada and the United States.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136 ; 514-283-8300 ; [email protected] ) or Media Relations ( 613-951-4636 ; [email protected] ).