Canada is a pretty great place to visit. We’ve got poutine, polar bears, igloos, maple syrup, and a whole lot of other stereotypes that are quite fun to chat about but not particularly relevant to most Canadians if you dig into the nitty gritty. True or simply fun, lots of residents of the USA take advantage of our long and welcoming border to travel north (for most people) and visit for a day or two.
Are you curious how they get here? According to Statistics Canada’s latest data release, 41% of travelers came via automobile, 25% by plane, and 11% by bus. The less popular but still often chosen alternatives include 9% by foot and by boat, with another 4% by train.
At first glance, bus and by foot seem a bit odd. They’re walking here? But, most major Canadian cities and their associated populations are quite close to the US border, thanks to the warmer and more hospitable climate. Add to that some major tourist attractions that are right on the border (think Niagara Falls!), and you’ve got a recipe for day trips and bus adventures, each of which would benefit from some brand activation measurement!
It’s also interesting to note that after slow, seven year decline, travel to Canada began to increase after 2014 and continued through to 2017. Unfortunately, it took a sharp dive in 2018. The changing political scene in the USA is likely a major cause of this decline.
Sadly, there is no such thing as a subway that goes from Toronto to Vancouver. We haven’t got a subway line that’s more than 4 400 kilometers long. But, Via Rail does have a fabulous trip called The Canadian you can book which will, as they say, let you leave the city centre behind and glide through gentle prairie fields, rugged lake country and picturesque towns to the snowy peaks of the majestic Rockies. Enjoy!
If you’re eager to learn more about Canadians and how we might perceive brand expansions from other countries, please get in touch with us! We’d love to help you sort fact from fiction with some super fieldwork.
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