Tourism operators across the country will remember the summer of 2025 fondly, as the amount of money spent by tourists reached an all-time high.
Canada’s tourism sector generated a record-breaking amount of revenue of between May and August, reaching $59 billion, a six per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Most of the revenue was the result of Canadians choosing to spend their travel dollars within the country, as domestic tourism was up seven per cent. Revenue from international travellers remained strong, particularly from overseas markets, which increased by 10 per cent, according to new figures released by Destination Canada on Thursday.
Hotels were kept busy during the summer months, especially in August, when national hotel occupancy reached 80.7 per cent, the highest since 2014.
“The tourism this summer was really good for me,” said Brent Koinberg, owner of Crowsnest Adventures, which offers guided ATV and other tours through the mountains in southwest Alberta.
Business was booming this summer as the number of tours and customers quadrupled compared to last year, said Koinberg. About 40 per cent of his bookings were from international travellers.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of families booked for next year already, too.”
Canadians were also spreading the wealth, as 89 per cent of regions posted year-over-year growth, according to the report, with Atlantic Canada seeing some of the highest growth rates in the country.