Contents
Q3 2016 Highlights
- Border crossings from the U.S. to Ontario increased 7.7%, with same-day crossings up 5.0% and overnight crossings up 9.7%.
- Entries from overseas markets to Ontario grew 14.3%.
- Ontario hotel occupancy rose 3.4 percentage points.
- Employment in Ontario’s tourism-related industries grew 0.7%.
- Ontario’s Travel Price Index increased 3.6%.
- Border crossings from the U.S. to Ontario increased 7.7%, with same-day crossings up 5.0% and overnight crossings up 9.7%.
- Entries from overseas markets to Ontario grew 14.3%.
- Ontario hotel occupancy rose 3.4 percentage points.
- Employment in Ontario’s tourism-related industries grew 0.7%.
- Ontario’s Travel Price Index increased 3.6%.
International Border Crossings
In Q3 2016, there were 5.9 million international entries into Ontario, 8.9% more than in 2015.
| Entries | Change (Percent) | |
|---|---|---|
| International | 5,913,991 | 8.9% |
| United States Total | 4,817,111 | 7.7% |
| United States Same-day | 2,025,995 | 5.0% |
| United States Overnight | 2,791,116 | 9.7% |
| Overseas | 1,096,880 | 14.3% |
Source: Statistics Canada
Note: Border Crossings by port are available from Statistics Canada, cansim table 427-0001. Detailed data is available at Current Performance: Border Crossings
United States Border Crossings
- There were 4.8 million US entries into Ontario in Q3 2016, 7.7% more than in Q3 2015.
- Same-day entries increased 5.0% and overnight crossings grew 9.7%.
Source: Statistics Canada
Note: Border Crossings by port are available from Statistics Canada, cansim table 427-0001. Detailed data is available at Current Performance: Border Crossings
Overseas Border Crossings
In Q3 2016, there were 1.1 million overseas entries into Ontario, an increase of 14.3% compared to 2015.
Arrivals were up from most tracked countries with South Korea +60%, the UK +21%, the Netherlands +21%, China +18%, and Mexico +17%
| Entries | Change (Percent) | |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 170,083 | 21.0% |
| China | 108,546 | 18.3% |
| Germany | 62,102 | 10.5% |
| South Korea | 55,203 | 60.4% |
| Japan | 53,428 | 9.4% |
| Italy | 45,972 | 16.1% |
| France | 44,761 | -4.9% |
| India | 42,265 | 15.5% |
| Australia | 30,849 | 6.7% |
| Netherlands | 30,088 | 20.8% |
| Mexico | 29,445 | 16.8% |
| Brazil | 26,159 | -16.1% |
| Hong Kong | 20,908 | 11.0% |
Source: Statistics Canada
Detailed data is available at Current Performance: Border Crossings
Hotel Statistics
- Occupancy Rates, Average Daily Rates and Revenue per Available Room all grew in Q3 2016
- During July to September 2016, Ontario occupancy rates averaged 80.3% up 3.4 percentage points over 2015
- The average daily rate grew 7.6% to $159.05
- Revenue per available room increased 12.3% to $127.75
| Occupancy Q3 2016 | Occupancy Change | Average Daily Rate Q3 2016 | Average Daily Rate Change (Percent) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 80.3% | 3.4 | $159.05 | 7.6% |
| Greater Toronto Area (GTA) | 86.2% | 5.8 | $173.61 | 11.8% |
| Eastern Ontario | 77.8% | 3.8 | $127.42 | 4.8% |
| Ottawa | 78.1% | 0.2 | $154.35 | 4.9% |
| Southern Ontario | 77.1% | 2.8 | $155.19 | 3.1% |
| Central Ontario | 73.7% | 2.6 | $160.24 | 2.2% |
| North Eastern Ontario | 62.2% | -5.8 | $113.70 | 1.3% |
| North Central Ontario | 78.5% | 3.5 | $114.96 | 5.9% |
| North Western Ontario | 83.9% | 5.0 | $119.47 | 6.9% |
Source: CBRE Hotels Trends in the Hotel Industry National Market Report
Note: Quarterly averages are calculated by MTCS. Detailed data is available at Current Performance: Hotel Industry
Employment
Employment in tourism related industries grew 0.7% in Q3 2016.
- Employment in the Transportation, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation, and Food & Beverage industries grew while the number of jobs in the Accommodations, Travel Services and Retail sectors declined.
- Ontario’s tourism related employment grew 0.7% in July to September 2016 while total employment in Ontario increased 0.6%.
Source: Statistics Canada; Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Detailed data is available at Current Performance: Employment
Travel Price Index
The price of travel in Ontario grew 3.6% in Q3 2016.
- Ontario’s Travel Price Index (TPI) grew 3.6% in July to September 2016 compared to 2015. Prices of Accommodations, Food & Beverage, Recreation & Entertainment, Transportation and Retail all grew versus 2015 while costs of Operation of Passenger Vehicles declined.
- Ontario’s TPI increased more than Ontario’s Consumer Price Index (CPI). During the third quarter of 2016, TPI grew 3.6% while CPI grew 1.6% over 2015.
Source: Statistics Canada; Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Detailed data is available at Current Performance: Travel Price Index
Visitor Inquiries
Visits to Ontario’s Travel Information Centres and user sessions at ontariotravel.net grew in Q3 2016 while call volume to 1-800-ONTARIO declined.
- In the third quarter of 2016, there were over 508,000 visits to Ontario’s Travel Information Centres, 1.9% more than in 2015.
- Calls to the 1-800-ONTARIO Call Centre totalled over 27,000 throughout July to September 2016, a decrease of 10.2% over July to September 2015.
- During Q3 2016, there were approximately 1.1 million user sessions at OntarioTravel.net, up 3.0% over Q3 2015.
Source: Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC)
Exchange Rates
The value of the US dollar declined slightly, -0.3% to $1.31 CAD.
| Currency | Value ($CAD) | Change (Percent) |
|---|---|---|
| USD | 1.31 | -0.3% |
| EUR | 1.46 | 0.0% |
| GBP | 1.71 | -15.6% |
| YEN | 0.01 | 18.9% |
Source: Bank of Canada
Detailed data is available at Current Performance: Exchange Rates
Gas Prices
The average price of gas in Ontario was $1.00 per litre, 9.3% less than in 2015.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Energy
What's New in the Ministry's Tourism Research?
Tourism Research Community of Practice
- In 2015, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport initiated a sector-wide engagement process as part of the development of a Strategic Framework for Tourism in Ontario.
- Stakeholders identified the need for government and industry collaboration to identify research needs, to examine the feasibility of alternative statistics and to better educate other ministries and tourism stakeholders on tourism related research
- In 2016, the ministry released Ontario’s Tourism Action Plan, which outlined 12 specific action items the government is taking to enable a positive environment for industry growth.
- As part of the Action Plan, the ministry committed to establishing a Tourism Research Community of Practice to increase access to and understanding of tourism related data as well as to provide a platform for partnerships in tourism research projects
- The Tourism Research Community of Practice held its first meeting in February 2017. For more information about the community or on how to take part, please contact the Research Unit.
2015 Tourism Data Release
The Tourism Research Unit has received the Travel Survey of the Residents of Canada and International Travel Survey 2015 databases from Statistics Canada, and is in the process of generating provincial and regional reports. These reports will be posted on our website and an email announcement will be sent to our subscribers. New subscribers can register via http://www.mtr-tourismpublications.com/en/register.php.
Published by the Tourism Research and Policy Branch
Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Ontario.ca/tourismresearch
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