CTC: October 2014: high fives for Canada travel.

For travellers, there was no better place to be than Canada in October 2014. The mercury may have been falling, but there was a sharp rise on the traveller scale: 1.3 million international visitors made Canada their vacation destination, a robust 9% year-on-year rise, according to the latest Tourism Snapshot from the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)'s Research department.

More vital statistics:

• Year-to-date October 2014, Canada has welcomed 15.2 million international visitors, a 3% increase over the same period in 2013.
• CTC's overseas markets were the trailblazers for the fifth month in a row, enticing 15% more travellers to Canada in October 2014.
• October was an auspicious month for five CTC overseas markets-Australia, China, France, India and South Korea-which enjoyed their highest-ever level of visitors.
• The US market soared into the stratosphere in October 2014: just over 900,000 Americans headed north over the 49th parallel, a 7% surge over October 2013.
• Arrivals by air (9%), other modes of transport (8%) and autos (5%) all played their part in fuelling the strong American uptick.
• The Mexico market goes from strength to strength. In October, it registered an impressive 25% increase in travellers to Canada.
• Elsewhere in Latin America, the Brazil market was reinvigorated by an 18% boost in traveller numbers to Canada.
• CTC's European markets had a ruddy glow in October 2014, with the UK (9%), France (9%) and Germany (1%) all notching increases in visitors to Canada.
• The China market continued to hit the accelerator in October 2014, yielding an astonishing 36% surge in visitors to Canada, but South Korea (31%) is hot on its heels in Asia.
• CTC's secondary markets continued to perform strongly in October 2014: traveller numbers to Canada rose from Taiwan (25%), Hong Kong (17%), Italy (15%), Switzerland (11%), Spain (7%) and the Netherlands (2%).
• Canadians took 2.4 million trips abroad in October 2014, a 2% year-on-year rise.
• Year-to-date October 2014, Canadians have taken 28.8 million outbound trips, 2% more than the same period in 2013.
• Current economic conditions were preying on Canadian consumers' minds in October 2014. The Index of Consumer Confidence, released by The Conference Board of Canada, dropped 3.9 points to a total of 84.
• South of the border, Americans were wracked by indecision over their futures. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index dipped 0.3 points to 88.7.

The Tourism Snapshot examines statistics and travel trends up to Oct. 31, 2014, in CTC's-and partners'-key global markets.

Refer to full documentation in attachments box, located at the top left, below the headline.