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I thought I'd post this data regarding Canadian International Travel. Seems very impressive to me and I hope that it dispels a few misconceptions about Canadians not being well travelled.
Notes:
removed USA as a destination because it skewed the plot
data from 2002 from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/sum...saveas-eng.cgi
data is old, but with a stronger economy and stronger dollar, numbers must have increased
TOTAL of 7.4 Million visits to these countries. That's approximately 25% of the Canadian population (not accounting for multiple visits by the same people). And remember that I ignored all US visits.
First, take Cuba, Jamaica and Dominican Republic off. Most people go there for the beaches in the Canadian winter, lying on the sand for days and have next to zero contact with the local people and local culture. It is like going to Disneyland - it doesn't matter if it is in Paris or Hong Kong. It is Disneyland. This is why I always insist Caribbean trips are not travelling. This probably applies to Mexico as well, as most of these are those all-inclusive tours in completed Anglo dominated resorts such as Cancun etc. 90% of the time you meet other Canadians and Americans and you have zero language barrier or cultural shock. The only locals you see are the hotel and restaurant staff. Right?
Travel means you actually learn and experience something different, in terms of language, culture and history. Most of these trips only involves beach resorts and contacts with largely other English speaking people from Canada and the US. These trips are pathetic IMO. One can visit all the Caribbean islands 30 times and he still knows nothing about the rest of the world.
China stats hardly matter because 99% of the those "travellers" are ex-chinese citizens and they are not traveling. They are visiting family in China. How many white Canadians you know have been to China? That applies to Hong Kong to a large extent as well but HK is not a country and shouldn't be in the list to start with.
Then you are left with something like 3M, 4M at best, instead of 7.4, and this is more close to how well traveled Canadians are.
Then among the remaining countries, see, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Australia. All western developed countries that Canadians feel "comfortable" with, half of them English speaking. I give it some credit but it is disappointing that less than 100,000 people visited other interesting destinations, such as those in Asia, South America.
No wonder whenever Canadians talk about the world, it is either the US, or better a few western Europe countries as of the rest of the world didn't matter or exist.
Last edited by botticelli; 10-10-2014 at 05:58 PM..
First, take Cuba, Jamaica and Dominican Republic off. Most people go there for the beaches in the Canadian winter, lying on the sand for days and have next to zero contact with the local people and local culture. It is like going to Disneyland - it doesn't matter if it is in Paris or Hong Kong. It is Disneyland. This is why I always insist Caribbean trips are not travelling. This probably applies to Mexico as well, as most of these are those all-inclusive tours in completed Anglo dominated resorts such as Cancun etc. 90% of the time you meet other Canadians and Americans and you have zero language barrier or cultural shock. The only locals you see are the hotel and restaurant staff. Right?
Travel means you actually learn and experience something different, in terms of language, culture and history. Most of these trips only involves beach resorts and contacts with largely other English speaking people from Canada and the US. These trips are pathetic IMO. One can visit all the Caribbean islands 30 times and he still knows nothing about the rest of the world.
China stats hardly matter because 99% of the those "travellers" are ex-chinese citizens and they are not traveling. They are visiting family in China. How many non-Chinese Canadians you know have been to China? maybe one out of 1000? That applies to Hong Kong to a large extent as well.
Then you are left with something like 3M, 4M at best, instead of 7.4, and this is more close to how well traveled Canadians are.
I think your calculations are probably quite correct. With all the violent crime going on in Mexico few tourists go there these days outside of the hyper-secure all-inclusive resorts.
You are right about China too.
Most of the European countries' numbers likely have a fair number of family visit numbers in them, though the number of visitors per country that are likely these can be quite variable. A place like the UK is likely close to 50-50 between family and tourist trips. Whereas Spain is likely quite lower for family trips and higher for tourists with no family there.
Most of the European countries' numbers likely have a fair number of family visit numbers in them, though the number of visitors per country that are likely these can be quite variable. A place like the UK is likely close to 50-50 between family and tourist trips. Whereas Spain is likely quite lower for family trips and higher for tourists with no family there.
Yes.
I happened to have a coworker with Italian origin and one with Greek origin. And not surprisingly Italy an Greece are the only European countries they have been to.
I am not being picky here. In fact, in most countries, most people are not well travelled, and I am sure Canada is not doing bad in comparison.
But I am saying Canadian people's views are often restricted by their experience and limited exposure to the outside world, and they assume too much about it, often habitually considering US + Canada as the "world" and even forming a lot of judgemental but groundless opinions about other countries (for example, the Chinese are constantly being oppressed by the government, and most of Shanghai's apartments are empty).
Traveling does make people a little less ignorant believe Quebec city is a particularly old city and say fewer stupid things such as "Vancouver is the most beautiful city in the world", or "Toronto's transit is great."
First, take Cuba, Jamaica and Dominican Republic off. Most people go there for the beaches in the Canadian winter, lying on the sand for days and have next to zero contact with the local people and local culture. It is like going to Disneyland - it doesn't matter if it is in Paris or Hong Kong. It is Disneyland. This is why I always insist Caribbean trips are not travelling. This probably applies to Mexico as well, as most of these are those all-inclusive tours in completed Anglo dominated resorts such as Cancun etc. 90% of the time you meet other Canadians and Americans and you have zero language barrier or cultural shock. The only locals you see are the hotel and restaurant staff. Right?
Travel means you actually learn and experience something different, in terms of language, culture and history. Most of these trips only involves beach resorts and contacts with largely other English speaking people from Canada and the US. These trips are pathetic IMO. One can visit all the Caribbean islands 30 times and he still knows nothing about the rest of the world.
China stats hardly matter because 99% of the those "travellers" are ex-chinese citizens and they are not traveling. They are visiting family in China. How many non-Chinese Canadians you know have been to China? maybe one out of 1000? That applies to Hong Kong to a large extent as well.
Then you are left with something like 3M, 4M at best, instead of 7.4, and this is more close to how well traveled Canadians are.
Well, I disagree on many levels. Your response contains rookie mistakes ... allow me to elaborate.
First the mathematical error. Note that these are stats from ONE year only (2002). Travelling or travel experience for a population has an additive effect. Say X people traveled in 2002 and Y people traveled in 2003 - clearly sub-populations X and Y are not entirely the same. So in a period of 10 years, if Canadians have about 5 million tourists per year on average -- we get a total of 5x10 = 50 million visits to foreign countries. This is a huge number by any metric!
Note that I used the number 5 million per year average, that is loosely in the middle of your estimates (3, 4 million per year) and Stats Canada figures. So I can safely ignore your ramblings about Cuba and DR.
So, even using your estimate and my math, we have a population that is very well traveled.
I kinda agree with you about the all inclusive resorts in Cuba, DR, etc. But Canadians going to Mexico are not only going to Cancun. I personally know many Canadians who have traveled across Mexico - which is a huge and very diverse country.
But Canadians going to Mexico are not only going to Cancun. I personally know many Canadians who have traveled across Mexico - which is a huge and very diverse country.
I think your calculations are probably quite correct. With all the violent crime going on in Mexico few tourists go there these days outside of the hyper-secure all-inclusive resorts.
You are right about China too.
Most of the European countries' numbers likely have a fair number of family visit numbers in them, though the number of visitors per country that are likely these can be quite variable. A place like the UK is likely close to 50-50 between family and tourist trips. Whereas Spain is likely quite lower for family trips and higher for tourists with no family there.
His math logic is all wrong. Read my second post.
Note that this analysis excludes trips to the US. Other countries are not as isolated as Canada. Flying out of Canada is expensive. Some Aussies can fly into Bali for $300! Would botti exclude Bali for an Aussie travel analysis? Also, travelling for EU folks is super easy and super cheap.
An interesting analysis would be one that compared the amount of money spent on traveling. I know that Canadians are always in the top ten when it comes to tourism dollars.
Canadians often like to point to the higher percentage of passport holders in Canada compared to the U.S., but this is not necessarily an indication that Canadians are more worldly. For starters Canadians live in a northern country with no tropical areas. They need a passport to travel anywhere tropical in the winter. They even need a passport to go cross-border shopping or to a football game just across the border from where they live.
The vast majority of people I know have a passport. I am pretty sure every one of my kids' friends (all under 13-14) has a passport. But they are mostly used for trips to Cuba and the DR. I know people who've been to Punta Cuna ten times who've never even been to NYC and it's only 700 km away.
That said, I do think that Canadians are slightly more travelled than Americans. One of the main factors is because Americans have so many more cities, and so much more climactic and landscape variety within their own country. It's much easier and also cheaper for them to stay at home. For Canadians if you are going to leave the country, sure you'll go to the U.S. a lot but if you are going to be in the frame of mind to leave the country anyway, why not go to Paris or London instead of San Fran?
BTW .... what's the Indian vs Chinese immigrant population figures for Canada? If all the Chinese folks are going home? Why is India not on that list?
Good question. That population is huge. In Toronto I think it's slightly bigger than the Chinese. There may be something else at play.
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