Ottawa Canadians are travelling again, and they are going far. New data from Statistics Canada shows that Canadian overseas travel in 2025 climbed past pre pandemic levels. Canadians made 342 million domestic trips. They also made 14.3 million overseas visits.
Trips to the United States moved in the opposite direction. Visits fell to 23.1 million. Much of that drop came from leisure and recreation, which declined by 21.5 percent.
Canadian Overseas Travel 2025: The Headline Numbers
Overall outbound travel abroad shrank by 16.7 percent to 43.3 million departures. Return trips from the United States dropped 25.4 percent to 29.1 million. Meanwhile, overseas departures grew by 9.2 percent. Overseas return trips rose 14.9 percent and stayed above pre pandemic levels for a second year.
Money followed the trend. In the second quarter of 2025, Canadians spent 8.1 billion dollars overseas, up 28.4 percent from a year earlier. The average overseas visit cost 2,435 dollars over about 13 nights. A typical US overnight trip lasted only about seven nights.
Where Canadians Are Going
Mexico, the Dominican Republic, France, the United Kingdom and Italy topped the overseas list. Italy even ranked first among overseas destinations in the third quarter of 2025, with 366,000 Canadian visits.
Europe is a clear favourite. France welcomed about 1.2 million Canadian travellers in 2025. The United Kingdom recorded 944,000 visits from Canada in 2024. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport counted more than 1.29 million passengers on Canadian routes in 2024.
Travellers are choosing fewer, longer trips. Instead of several quick weekend breaks, many Canadians now save for one rich journey. They stay longer, explore regions beyond the capital cities and spend more locally.
Why the Shift Is Happening
Several forces work together. Exchange rates matter. Border processing worries matter. Cost of living pressure makes people plan more carefully. Many also want deeper cultural experiences. Domestic travel stays strong, and Canadians remain proud explorers of their own country.
Family ties play a big role too. Roughly four in ten Canadian visitors to the United Kingdom come to see friends and relatives. Italy runs a roots tourism programme that invites people of Italian descent to reconnect with ancestral towns. Canada’s diverse communities give these journeys a natural audience.
Source: Canadian Overseas Travel Surges in 2025
Good News at Home: Visitors Keep Coming to Canada
Inbound travel tells a mixed but hopeful story. Visits from United States residents slipped to 22.8 million. Yet visits from overseas residents rose to 6.8 million. Canada remains a top destination for people who want safe cities, natural beauty and warm hospitality.
This growth also supports jobs in hotels, restaurants, airlines and local tourism across every province. Overseas visitors typically stay longer and spend more, which benefits Canadian communities from Halifax to Vancouver.
What Newcomers and Permanent Residents Should Know
Many newcomers now plan trips to visit family abroad. That is wonderful. But travel affects immigration status, so plan carefully.
Permanent residents must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days within every five year period. Carry a valid PR card or permanent resident travel document when returning by air. Citizenship applicants must meet the physical presence rule of 1,095 days in five years, so long trips can delay eligibility. Check that your passport is valid for the whole journey. Review entry requirements for your destination before booking, as rules and travel authorizations can change.
Relatives visiting you in Canada also need the right documents. Many visitors need a visitor visa. Visa exempt travellers arriving by air usually need an electronic travel authorization, known as an eTA. Applying early avoids stress.
The ImmigCanada team, led by Eivy Joy Quito (RCIC), reads these numbers as a sign of confidence. Canadians are optimistic, mobile and globally connected. That energy also lifts our immigration story. Newcomers feel welcome, then invite loved ones to visit. Tourism, family reunion and settlement support each other.
Our advice is to keep every travel record. Save boarding passes and passport stamps. Track your days outside Canada. These small habits protect your PR status and your future citizenship application.
Consider a hypothetical new permanent resident in Calgary. He plans three weeks in Italy to see his grandmother’s village. Before booking, he checks his passport, confirms his PR card is valid and counts his days in Canada. He returns with wonderful memories and no status worries. Good planning made that possible. Canada is a country people love to explore, and love to return to. The 2025 numbers prove it.