Canada recorded 4.6 million international arrivals by air and automobile in December, down 12.7 per cent from the same month a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year declines, Statistics Canada said.
The preliminary data, which combine returning Canadian residents and non-residents, point to continued weakness in cross-border and international travel volumes at the end of the year, with declines evident across several major travel categories.
Overall arrivals continue to slide
Statistics Canada said the December decline extended a sustained downward trend that has now lasted nearly a full year. The total number of arrivals reflected reduced travel activity by both non-residents entering Canada and Canadian residents returning from abroad.
The agency’s release breaks down the data by mode of transportation and traveller residency, highlighting contrasting trends between air and automobile travel, as well as differences between U.S. and overseas travel.
Photo: Timur Weber
Non-resident air travel edges lower
Non-resident arrivals to Canada by air totalled 752,700 in December, a decrease of 1.1 per cent compared with December 2024.
The decline was driven by fewer arrivals from the United States, with U.S.-resident air travel to Canada down 8.9 per cent year over year. That drop was partially offset by an increase in arrivals from overseas residents, which rose 6.6 per cent.
Statistics Canada said daily traffic data showed a pronounced peak late in the month. Saturday, Dec. 20 recorded the highest number of daily arrivals for both U.S. residents, at 18,000, and overseas residents, at 25,800. That combined peak was 97.6 per cent higher than the average number of non-resident arrivals for the remaining Saturdays in December and occurred ahead of Christmas Day on Thursday, Dec. 25.
The agency published a chart showing non-resident trips to Canada by commercial aircraft from December 2019 to December 2025, along with an infographic illustrating trips by geography of residence for December 2025.
Canadian residents’ return air trips dip slightly
Canadian residents returning from abroad by air made 1.6 million trips in December, down 0.1 per cent from the same month one year earlier.
Statistics Canada reported diverging trends within that total. Return trips from overseas countries by air increased 10.4 per cent to 1.1 million in December, while return trips by air from the United States declined 18.7 per cent to 470,700.
The data also showed notable daily fluctuations during the holiday period. From Dec. 30 to Dec. 31, at the end of the holiday season, a daily average of 71,500 returning Canadian-resident arrivals was observed. That figure was 59.2 per cent higher than the average of the remaining Tuesday-to-Wednesday periods in the month.
The lowest number of returning Canadian-resident air arrivals was recorded on Friday, Dec. 19, when 35,200 arrivals were observed.
Statistics Canada included a chart showing Canadian-resident return trips from abroad by commercial aircraft from December 2019 to December 2025.
U.S.-resident automobile travel declines again
Travel to Canada by automobile also continued to weaken. In December, the number of U.S.-resident trips to Canada by automobile fell to 981,800, a decrease of 9.0 per cent compared with December 2024.
Statistics Canada said this marked the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year declines in U.S.-resident automobile travel to Canada.
Despite the overall decrease, the agency noted a late-December surge. From Friday, Dec. 26, to Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, an average of 67,300 U.S.-resident arrivals per day was observed. That average was 69.7 per cent higher than the average for the remaining Friday-to-Saturday periods in December.
The release included a chart tracking U.S.-resident automobile trips to Canada from December 2019 to December 2025, along with an infographic showing automobile trips by country of residence for December 2025.
Canadian residents’ return trips by car drop sharply
Canadian residents returning to Canada by automobile from the United States also posted a significant decline.
In December, the number of Canadian-resident return trips by automobile totalled 1.3 million, down 30.7 per cent from the same month in 2024. Statistics Canada said December 2025 marked the 12th consecutive month of year-over-year declines in this category.
The highest number of returning Canadian-resident automobile arrivals occurred on Sunday, Dec. 28, when 73,800 arrivals were recorded. That total was 28.5 per cent higher than the average for the other Sundays in December.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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