Tourism businesses nationwide will have fond memories of the summer of 2025, as tourist spending hit a record high. Canada’s tourism industry saw unprecedented revenue during the period from May to August, reaching $59 billion, marking a six percent increase from the previous year. However, there was a slight decline in revenue from American visitors, dropping by 1.7 percent.
The surge in revenue was predominantly driven by Canadian travelers opting to spend within the country, with domestic tourism increasing by seven percent. International tourist revenue remained robust, particularly from overseas markets, showing a 10 percent increase, as per recent data released by Destination Canada. The national tourism organization observed a growing interest among travelers to explore various regions of Canada since the spring.
Joe Amati, a senior executive director at Destination Canada, noted the rising bookings from international markets and domestic Canadian travelers. He expressed cautious optimism about maintaining the summer momentum and highlighted the strong desire of travelers to visit Canada.
Hotel occupancy rates peaked in August, with a national rate of 80.7 percent, the highest since 2014. Andrew Shepherd, the general manager of the Malcolm Hotel in Canmore, Alberta, mentioned that many Canadians chose to explore different parts of the country instead of traveling abroad, contributing to the increased domestic tourism. Shepherd anticipates higher revenue for the summer compared to 2024.
Brent Koinberg, owner of Crowsnest Adventures in southwest Alberta, reported a successful summer with a significant increase in tours and customers compared to the previous year. Approximately 40 percent of his bookings came from international visitors. Overall, 89 percent of regions in Canada experienced year-over-year growth, with Atlantic Canada showing some of the highest growth rates.
