Developed in collaboration with Statistics Canada 

 

Global dollars, local impact: advancing Canada's economic priorities

Welcoming the world is one of Canada's best fast-to-market growth strategies. Ranked among the country's top two service exports, surpassing telecommunications and financial services, tourism is a sector of solutions for today's challenges—one that strengthens our economy, our communities, and our relationships around the world.

Tourism is well positioned to convert its momentum into lasting benefits for communities across the country while advancing Canada's economic priorities, especially on the trade diversification front.

The government has set a bold challenge to double non-U.S. trade in the next decade, creating $300 billion in new export growth. Tourism can be 10 per cent of the solution.

The latest data tells a strong story: In 2025, tourism remained one of Canada's fastest-growing sectors, contributing $140.5 billion to Canada's economy, up 2.8 per cent from 2024. 

This continued growth reflects the sector's stability and Canada's globally recognized reputation as a desirable destination, reinforcing tourism's role as a pillar of economic resilience amid global uncertainty. 

Developed in collaboration with Statistics Canada, the 2025 Tourism GDP Infographic provides a snapshot of the sector's direct contribution to Canada's economy through visitor spending, GDP, employment and exports. It highlights tourism as a key economic sector, supporting jobs and businesses, strengthening communities and advancing Canada’s trade diversification objectives.

Canadian and international visitors continue to drive tourism spending

Growth across the sector reflected the strength of both domestic and international travel. International visitors played a key role alongside strong domestic travel, bringing new export dollars into Canada and supporting the country's trade diversification. 

In 2025, domestic visitors spent $105.6 billion, accounting for 75.2 per cent of total 
tourism spending, while international visitors contributed $34.9 billion, representing the remaining 24.8 per cent. Overnight trips within Canada also increased 1.6 per cent 
to 107.3 million.

Tourism remains one of Canada’s top service exports

Tourism exports, meaning purchases made by international visitors while in Canada, such as hotel stays, guided tours, meals, transportation, attractions and locally made products, represented 14.5 per cent of Canada's total service exports in 2025, positioning tourism as one of Canada's top two service exports. As Canada continues to diversify its trade and export markets, tourism is bringing new export dollars into communities across the country.

Tourism outpaced Canada's economy

Tourism was one of the fastest-growing sectors in Canada in 2025 in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of the total value of goods and services produced in Canada. The sector's GDP increased 2.5 per cent, outpacing the 1.7 per cent growth of Canada's overall economy.

One in Ten Jobs Relies on Tourism

Tourism remained a major employer in 2025, supporting 687,800 direct jobs across more than 70 industries. From pilots and sommeliers to hotel owners and adventure guides, the sector offers careers across a wide range of fields. Overall, one in 10 jobs in Canada relies on tourism, with the sector supporting more than 280,000 businesses nationwide.

Learn more about tourism's contribution to Canada's economy in the full 2025 Tourism GDP Infographic, available on the Canadian Tourism Data Collective.