Canada’s travel industry in 2023 showed strong demand across accommodation, with hotel room occupancy averaging 68% nationwide. At the same time, average daily rates reached CAD 192 and RevPAR climbed to CAD 131. International overnight visitors totaled 20.4 million, up 34% from the previous year, and the spending mix reveals where pressure points and growth sit side by side.
Key Takeaways
- Hotel room occupancy rate averaged 68% across Canada in 2023
- Adventure tourism bookings surged 28% in 2023 to 15.6 million participants
- In 2023, Canada's tourism industry generated $128.4 billion in total economic output, representing 6.6% of national GDP
- Canada air passenger traffic reached 164 million in 2023, up 22% YoY
- Canada welcomed 20.4 million international overnight visitors in 2023, up 34% from 2022
Canadian travel industry statistics show steady growth in visitor arrivals and spending across the country.
Related reading
01 · Category
Accommodation Sector22 stats
01
Hotel room occupancy rate averaged 68% across Canada in 2023
02
Total hotel rooms in Canada numbered 378,000 in 2023
03
Average daily rate (ADR) for hotels was CAD 192 in 2023, up 8% YoY
04
Revenue per available room (RevPAR) reached CAD 131 in 2023
05
Toronto hotel occupancy 72% in 2023
06
Vancouver ADR CAD 245 in 2023
07
Airbnb listings grew to 125,000 active in Canada in 2023
08
Short-term rental revenue $3.2 billion in 2023
09
Campgrounds and RV sites saw 15.2 million stays in 2023
10
Luxury hotel segment grew 12% in occupancy to 75% in 2023
11
Budget hotels ADR CAD 135 in 2023
12
Midscale hotels dominated with 45% market share in 2023
13
Banff/Lake Louise hotels 85% occupancy peak season 2023
14
Quebec City heritage hotels ADR CAD 210 in 2023
15
Calgary hotels recovered to 65% occupancy post-Stampede 2023
16
Ottawa government hotels 70% occupancy in 2023
17
Halifax waterfront hotels ADR CAD 185 in 2023
18
Resort properties RevPAR CAD 250 in 2023
19
Eco-lodges increased 18% in bookings in 2023
20
Timeshare and condo hotels 8% market growth in 2023
21
Food and beverage revenue in hotels $12.4 billion in 2023
22
Conference centers hosted 2.1 million delegate days in 2023
Interpretation
Accommodation Sector Interpretation
Despite a robust 68% national occupancy and soaring luxury rates, the Canadian travel scene reveals a delightfully fragmented character, where a splurge on a Banff suite, a night in a Halifax heritage inn, a trendy eco-lodge stay, a budget motel, a campsite under the stars, and a downtown Airbnb are all vigorously competing for the same traveler's wallet—and appetite, given that $12.4 billion was spent just on hotel meals.
02 · Category
Attractions and Activities20 stats
01
Adventure tourism bookings surged 28% in 2023 to 15.6 million participants
02
National parks visitation totaled 29.1 million in 2023
03
Niagara Falls attraction visits 13.2 million in 2023
04
CN Tower tickets sold 1.8 million in 2023
05
Banff Gondola rides 450,000 in 2023
06
Whistler Blackcomb ski visits 2.1 million in 2023 season
07
Rocky Mountaineer train scenic trips 28,000 passengers 2023
08
Polar bear tours in Churchill 12,500 visitors in 2023
09
Aurora viewing tours 180,000 participants in 2023
10
Whale watching trips 250,000 in BC waters 2023
11
Cultural festivals drew 45 million attendees in 2023
12
Calgary Stampede visitors 1.2 million in 2023
13
Toronto International Film Festival 500,000 attendees 2023
14
Montreal Jazz Festival 2.3 million visitors 2023
15
Indigenous cultural experiences 3.4 million in 2023
16
Wine tours in Okanagan 850,000 visitors 2023
17
Golf rounds played by tourists 12.5 million in 2023
18
Fishing licenses issued to tourists 1.1 million in 2023
19
Hiking trail users in parks 18.7 million in 2023
20
Canoeing and kayaking rentals 950,000 in 2023
Interpretation
Attractions and Activities Interpretation
Evidently, Canada’s 2023 tourism numbers reveal a nation where over fifteen million adventurers are willingly trading their creature comforts for a chance to be awed, chilled, and possibly nibbled by nature, all while another forty-five million prove that culture—from cinematic masterpieces to grape-stomping festivities—can be just as thrilling as any grizzly bear.
03 · Category
Economic Impact29 stats
01
In 2023, Canada's tourism industry generated $128.4 billion in total economic output, representing 6.6% of national GDP
02
Tourism direct GDP contribution in Canada reached $49.2 billion in 2023, up 15% from 2022
03
Employment in Canada's tourism sector totaled 1.87 million jobs in 2023, accounting for 9.4% of total employment
04
International visitor spending in Canada was $27.5 billion in 2023, a 24% increase year-over-year
05
Domestic tourism spending contributed $92.1 billion to Canada's economy in 2023
06
Tourism exports from Canada hit $22.8 billion in 2023, driven by overseas markets
07
The accommodation and food services subsector added $38.7 billion to GDP in 2023
08
Travel trade surplus for Canada was $11.2 billion in 2023 due to inbound tourism
09
Quebec's tourism GDP contribution was $15.3 billion in 2023, 7.8% of provincial GDP
10
British Columbia tourism generated $23.1 billion in GDP impact in 2023
11
Ontario's tourism sector output reached $36.4 billion in 2023
12
Alberta tourism economic impact was $11.8 billion in 2023
13
Tourism multiplier effect in Canada was 1.8 for every dollar spent in 2023
14
Investment in tourism infrastructure totaled $4.2 billion in Canada in 2023
15
Tax revenue from tourism reached $24.6 billion federally and provincially in 2023
16
Newfoundland and Labrador tourism GDP was $1.9 billion in 2023
17
Manitoba tourism economic output $3.4 billion in 2023
18
Saskatchewan tourism contributed $2.7 billion to GDP in 2023
19
Nova Scotia tourism GDP impact $3.1 billion in 2023
20
Prince Edward Island tourism generated $0.6 billion in 2023
21
New Brunswick tourism economic impact $2.2 billion in 2023
22
Yukon tourism GDP $0.4 billion in 2023
23
Northwest Territories tourism output $0.3 billion in 2023
24
Nunavut tourism economic impact $0.2 billion in 2023
25
Winter tourism GDP contribution $28.5 billion in 2023
26
Summer tourism output $65.2 billion in 2023
27
Shoulder season tourism $34.7 billion in 2023
28
Adventure tourism subsector $18.9 billion GDP in 2023
29
Cultural tourism economic impact $22.4 billion in 2023
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Canada’s tourism industry isn't just a scenic postcard—it’s a colossal economic engine, fueling one in ten jobs and generating a travel trade surplus, all while proving that from coast to coast to coast, adventure and culture are serious business.
More related reading
04 · Category
Transportation23 stats
01
Canada air passenger traffic reached 164 million in 2023, up 22% YoY
02
Toronto Pearson Airport handled 45.2 million passengers in 2023
03
Vancouver International Airport 26.8 million passengers in 2023
04
Montreal-Trudeau Airport 21.1 million in 2023
05
Calgary Airport 18.4 million passengers in 2023
06
Domestic air travel 112 million passengers in 2023
07
Transborder air passengers 38 million in 2023
08
International air arrivals 14 million in 2023
09
Average flight load factor 82% in Canadian airlines 2023
10
WestJet carried 25.6 million passengers in 2023
11
Air Canada 50.2 million passengers in 2023
12
VIA Rail transported 4.7 million passengers in 2023
13
High-speed rail demand projected but Amtrak to Montreal 1.2 million
14
Road trips accounted for 75% of domestic travel in 2023
15
Rental car revenue $5.8 billion in 2023
16
Cruise passengers to Canada 2.9 million in 2023
17
Port of Vancouver cruise calls 325 in 2023
18
Ferry passengers BC Ferries 22.1 million in 2023
19
Electric vehicle rentals up 45% in tourism hotspots 2023
20
Bike-sharing trips 12.4 million in major cities 2023
21
Public transit ridership in tourism cities 1.2 billion trips 2023
22
Tofino cruise tender passengers 150,000 in 2023
23
Jasper shuttle services carried 450,000 in 2023
Interpretation
Transportation Interpretation
In a nation where the skies are once again packed—with Air Canada alone shepherding over 50 million souls and domestic roads claiming three-quarters of the wanderlust—the story of 2023 is a cacophony of wheels, wings, and propellers, proving that whether by land, sea, or air, Canadians and their guests are passionately, and sometimes electrically, finding their way back to movement.
05 · Category
Visitor Statistics23 stats
01
Canada welcomed 20.4 million international overnight visitors in 2023, up 34% from 2022
02
US visitors to Canada numbered 12.8 million in 2023, representing 62% of total international arrivals
03
Overseas visitors to Canada reached 5.1 million in 2023, a 52% increase YoY
04
Average length of stay for international visitors was 14.2 nights in 2023
05
55% of international visitors to Canada were from Europe in 2023
06
Asia-Pacific visitors totaled 2.3 million in 2023, 11% of total
07
Mexico accounted for 0.9 million visitors to Canada in 2023
08
Repeat visitors made up 42% of international arrivals in 2023
09
68% of visitors traveled for leisure in 2023
10
Business travelers numbered 3.2 million international in 2023
11
VFR (visiting friends and relatives) trips totaled 4.1 million in 2023
12
Toronto welcomed 9.2 million visitors in 2023
13
Vancouver international arrivals 6.8 million in 2023
14
Montreal visitor numbers 8.1 million in 2023
15
Niagara Falls region saw 14.5 million visitors in 2023
16
Banff National Park had 4.2 million visitors in 2023
17
Average age of international visitors was 45 years in 2023
18
52% of visitors were female in 2023
19
Families represented 28% of travel parties in 2023
20
Millennials (25-40) comprised 35% of visitors in 2023
21
Domestic trips totaled 432 million in 2023
22
Overnight domestic trips 157 million in 2023
23
Same-day domestic trips 275 million in 2023
Interpretation
Visitor Statistics Interpretation
Clearly, the world has decided Canada is the place to be, whether for a two-week European escape into our wilderness, a quick American getaway next door, or simply because 42% of you liked it so much the first time you forgot to go home.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Canada Travel Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canada-travel-industry-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Canada Travel Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/canada-travel-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Canada Travel Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canada-travel-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
88 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level