CTC: September 2014: the force is strong with Canada travel.

The leaves may have started to fall in September 2014, but there was no drop in tourism demand for Canada. Following hot on the heels of a superb summer, 1.7 million international travellers flocked to our country, another 4% year-on-year rise, says the latest Tourism Snapshot from the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)'s Research department.

More vital statistics:

• CTC's overseas markets set the pace for a fourth successive month, bringing in 12% more international visitors to Canada in September 2014.
• September smiled on three overseas markets-Australia, China and India-that registered their largest number of arrivals on record for this month.
• Just over 13.9 million international travellers chose a Canadian vacation year-to-date September 2014, a 3% increase on the previous year.
• The China and Japan markets led the charge in CTC's Asian markets in September 2014, posting 24% and 23% rises respectively in terms of visitors to Canada.
• The new CAN+ visa program in India is already producing dividends, including a 19% boost in travellers to Canada in September 2014.
• There was a hat-trick of good-news stories from CTC's European markets in September 2014, with Germany (11%), the UK (9%) and France (3%) all posting healthy gains in visitor numbers to Canada.
• High fives all round in the Mexico market, which notched its fifth consecutive month of double-digit growth (19%) in September 2014.
• Another powerful increase in arrivals by air (8%) helped the US market achieve an overall 1% increase in travellers to Canada in September 2014.
• Year-to-date September 2014, Americans have taken 9.8 million overnighters to Canada, up a slight 0.3% on 2013.
• September 2014 was a stellar month for CTC's secondary markets: visitor numbers to Canada rose from Italy (30%), Spain (22%), Hong Kong (15%), the Netherlands (10%), Taiwan (6%) and Switzerland (6%).
• Canadians put their suitcases to one side to stay home in September 2014, taking 2.6 million trips abroad, a 2% year-on-year decline.
• Of that Canadian travel, overseas destinations (just under 740,000 trips) held greater appeal, with a 9% rise in trips on the previous year.
• Canadians felt jittery again about the state of the economy in September 2014. The Index of Consumer Confidence, released by The Conference Board of Canada,dipped 0.4 points to a total of 87.9.
• American confidence stuttered in September 2014. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index slipped 4.4 points to 89.

The Tourism Snapshot examines statistics and travel trends up to Sept. 30, 2014, in CTC's-and partners'-key global markets.

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