Tourism spending in Canada grew 2.1 per cent in the fourth quarter, the seventh consecutive quarterly increase. Tourism gross domestic product (GDP) (+2.1 per cent) and jobs attributable to tourism (+1.5 per cent) also rose in the fourth quarter, reported Statistics Canada on Thursday.
Andrea Piacquadio
“Despite the tourism sector’s continued recovery in the fourth quarter, tourism spending was 16.2 per cent lower than the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels from the fourth quarter of 2019. By comparison, in the fourth quarter of 2021, tourism spending was 34.8 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels. Over 2022, this gap narrowed sharply as tourism spending in Canada increased 45.1 per cent, fuelled by a tripling of outlays on passenger air transport compared with 2021,” said the report.
“Passenger air transport (+4.6 per cent) contributed the most to the growth in tourism spending in the fourth quarter, followed by recreation and entertainment (+6.7 per cent) and non-tourism products (+2.0 per cent).
Tourism spending increases
StatsCan said tourism GDP grew 2.1 per cent in the fourth quarter, after increasing 4.5 per cent in the third quarter. Growth was mostly driven by transportation services (+8.5 per cent). Overall, tourism GDP was 82.7 per cent of its pre-pandemic level, while tourism’s share of GDP edged up to 1.58 per cent in the fourth quarter.
“Employment attributable to tourism rose 1.5 per cent in the fourth quarter, following gains of 3.9 per cent in the third quarter. Recreation and entertainment (+4.9 per cent), food and beverage services (+0.9 per cent) and accommodation (+1.1 per cent) industries were the largest contributors to the growth. Tourism’s share of employment edged up to 3.27,” said the federal agency
“Annually, tourism GDP increased 43.1 per cent, while jobs attributable to tourism demand rose 22.1 per cent.
Tourism gross domestic product and jobs attributable to tourism rise
(Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald, covering sports, crime, politics, health, faith, city and breaking news, and business. He works as well as a freelance writer for several national publications and as a consultant in communications and media relations/training. Mario was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list)
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