Travel is a moveable feast. But how do we keep it digestible? By Milan Korcok Middle Eastern, North African, Central American and some Caribbean countries – as well as many European nations – exceeded pre-pandemic arrivals, although the Americas and Asia still have a little work to do. But it remains clear that despite challenging economic times and a shaky level of confidence in the near future, Canadians remain among the world’s most enthusiastic travellers. As a Conference Board of Canada analysis (based on Statistics Canada data) shows, Canadians made 33.1 million visits out of the country in 2024 – that was more than in 2023 and equal to pre-Covid 2019. Overseas travel in 2024 was virtually the same as in 2019, and only 1.3 per cent lower than in 2023. And, although roughly two-thirds of these trips were to the United States, nearly 7.07 million were to Europe and U.K., more than pre-pandemic 2019 and the prior year of 2023. In addition, in 2024, Canadians made nearly 3.2 million trips to the Asia-Pacific region (29 per cent more than in 2023) and 6.05 million to the Caribbean and Latin America (more than 5 per cent more than in 2019). That’s pretty respectable for a nation of just over 41 million people (in 2024). Where do Canadians travel most when abroad: See Sidebar. Alarm bells are ringing. However, along with this post-pandemic travel resurgence, there are growing fears that “Overtourism” or “Revenge Travel” (making up for lost time) has gone too far in disrupting local populations trying to go about their daily chores: dealing with inflated housing costs – partially pumped up by neighbourhood vacation rentals, and being elbowed out of their neighbourhood trattorias by cruise passengers and day-trippers racing through their bucket list itinerary: Athens’ Acropolis today, Rome’s Coliseum tomorrow, then on to St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice…and let’s not forget the Eiffel Tower. The relationship between tourist and host is intricate. But it’s undeniable that tourism enriches economies well beyond the sellers of T-shirts, trinkets and gyro or falafel stands. And it’s not as if tourists are uninvited or unwanted. Selling travel is one of the world’s biggest businesses. According to the World Bank: in 2024, tourism accounted for 10 per cent of the global economy, contributing US$10.9 trillion to the global GDP and supporting 357 million jobs worldwide, approximately one in every 10 jobs. That’s the good part. But there is also the fallout, as Where did 7.07 million Canadians travel during 2024? (Source: Conference Board of Canada) Europe’s top five Canadian travel choices (2024) France 1,175,838 Italy 1,096,982 U.K. 1,000,961 Portugal 692,817 Spain 643,687 The top five to Asia Pacific Japan 579,440 India 462,022 China 269,219 Thailand 251,336 Philippines 223,944 Since the doldrum years of Covid, international tourism has expanded with a vengeance; travellers worldwide are making an estimated 1.4 billion overnight trips* in 2024, up 11 per cent from 2023 and approaching equity (99 per cent) with pre-pandemic travel. *United Nations World Tourism Org. Trips of at least one overnight stay – not including single-day, cross-border travel. 22 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
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