International arrivals to Canada climbed 2% in June 2011.

StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-China and India markets show the way as first half of 2011 closes on a high, reports latest CTC Tourism Snapshot.
Almost two million travellers came to Canada in June 2011, a 2% year-on-year increase, says the latest Tourism Snapshot, just published by the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)’s Research department.
However, this positive news was slightly offset by the year-to-date total of 6.4 million overnight visitors to this country, a 1% dip on the same period in 2010.
Here’s a breakdown of other key nuggets:

• The China market has an ever-growing appetite for Canada. It posted the largest gain in overnight arrivals (up 23% on June 2010), and its year-to-date total is up 19%, too.


• There was more positive news for the thirPublish Postd consecutive month from Mexico: an 8% upturn in overnighters to Canada over the same month last year.


• The Germany market rebounded after five months of decline with a 10% boost in arrival numbers over June 2010. India (14%), Australia (8%), and France (5%) were other CTC key international overseas markets to report gains in numbers crossing Canadian passport control.


• Not such happy tidings from Japan: a 30% drop in overnight arrivals to Canada was symptomatic of the ongoing troubles the country is suffering in the aftermath of the March earthquake and tsunami.


• South Koreans are not travelling to Canada in the same numbers, either: June 2011 witnessed a 12% drop in arrivals, a fifth consecutive monthly fall.


• Uncle Sam steered 1.4 million Americans to Canada in June 2011, 2% more than in the same month of 2010. They increased their  “other” modes of travel (+10%) and air travel (+4%) though fewer crossed the border by auto (-2%).


• However, the US year-to-date figures for the first six months of 2011 show a 1% overall decline to 4.6 million overnight trips.


• Newfoundland and Labrador (38%) and Nova Scotia (25%) were the American provinces of choice for the first half of 2011, whereas Prince Edward Island suffered an 89% tumble.


• Canadians continue to flock for the travel exit routes: outbound travel in June 2011 hit two million, a 6% year-on-year increase.


• Canadian consumer confidence trembled again. The Index of Consumer Confidence, released by The Conference Board of Canada, slipped 2.5 points on May ’11 to 83.1.


• The US is a bundle of nerves, too.The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell to 58.5.