Figures suggest that more Canadians are travelling abroad than ever before, with the US being their preferred destination.
In the third quarter of 2011, foreign visits by Canadian nationals increased by 11.2% in comparison with the previous year, whereas their spending in the US went up by 18%.
Since it is the only country Canadians can visit directly by land America is naturally their favorite destination. The facts that the language is the same, with the exception of Quebecois, and that most Canadians live on the American border help the US become top spot for Canadian outbound tourism.
Canadians made 2.5 million car trips to the US last year, a 3.3% increase on the previous year. Considering domestic trips increased by a mere 1.8%, there is a clear indication that Canadians now prefer to take their holidays by car and in the US.
The reason for the trend is mostly economical. The strong Canadian dollar means Canadians get more for their earnings on American soil and their diesel carries them further than before for the same outlay.
On a similar note, generally increased living standards and income growth in Canada mean that Canadians have more of their expensive dollars to spend once in the United States. These factors have certainly led to more Canadian citizens coming to America to enjoy holidays.
Unless major economic events lead to other circumstances, more and more are expected to arrive in 2012 and next year.