The following are the explanations/definitions of several key terms used throughout the research section of this site.
Tourism
The definition of tourism follows that adopted by the World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Statistical Commission: "the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".
International Traveler
The term international traveler applies to all persons (non-resident) arriving in Canada who will clear through Customs and Immigration points of entry.
Resident Traveler
A resident traveler is an international traveler resident of Canada who has traveled outside of Canada for a period of less than 12 months.
Person-trip
Each time an international traveler enters Canada marks the beginning of a person-trip.
Person-night
Each night a non-resident traveler spends in Canada, or a resident traveler spends outside Canada, during a person-trip is considered a person-night.
Same-day
Same-day travel encompasses travelers who enter and leave a country in less than 24 hours
One or More Nights
Travel of one or more nights includes travelers staying at 24 hours in a country other than that in which they reside.
Purpose of Trip
The main reason for the trip to a country.
Business Trips
Includes attending a meeting or convention, conference, trade show or seminar, or other work.
Pleasure Trips
Includes holiday, vacation, visiting second home, cottage or condo, and attending events and attractions.
Other Trip purposes
Includes personal, in transit, shopping, educational study and other.
Travel Receipts
Travel receipts are the expenditures in Canada by international travelers, including foreign crew. Among these would be expenditures for lodging, food, entertainment, local transportation, gifts, medical care, student expenses and all other purchase of personal goods and services.
Travel Payments
Travel payments are the expenditures abroad by Canadian resident travelers (including crews) incidental to travel including purchase of goods to be imported for personal use by the travelers. Among these would be expenditures for lodging, food, entertainment, local transportation, gifts, medical care, student expenses and all other purchase of personal goods and services.
Tourism industries
Tourism industries would cease to exist or would continue to exist only at significantly reduced levels of activity in the absence of tourism. Examples of tourism industries include air transportation and accommodation.
Tourism commodities
Tourism commodities are ones for which a significant part of their total demand comes from visitors. Examples include travel agency services and rail transportation services.
Tourism demand
Tourism demand is defined as the spending of Canadian and international visitors on domestically produced commodities. It is the sum of tourism domestic demand and tourism exports.
Tourism domestic demand
Tourism domestic demand is the spending in Canada by Canadian visitors on domestically produced commodities.
Tourism exports
Tourism exports are spending by foreign visitors on Canadian-produced tourism goods and services. It includes spending that may take place outside of Canada, for instance, the purchase of an airline ticket from a Canadian international carrier, to travel to Canada.
Tourism Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Tourism GDP is the unduplicated value of production, within the boundaries of a region, of goods and services purchased by tourists. In the NTI, GDP is calculated at basic prices in both current and constant dollars. Only direct GDP is calculated in the NTI. GDP is also generated indirectly in the upstream production chain of a good or service. Although these indirect effects can be linked to tourism, they are not included in GDP.
Domestic supply
Domestic supply of tourism commodities is defined as the total production in Canada of the tourism commodities which are mainly produced by tourism industries. Not all of domestic supply is purchased by visitors, so that supply exceeds tourism demand for the NTI. For example, visitors purchase only a small proportion of food and beverage services, with most going to local consumption. Also, supply does not include imports. For example the sale of a ticket on a non-Canadian airline is excluded from supply.
Tourism employment
Tourism employment is a measure of employment in tourism and non-tourism industries. Tourism employment measures the number of jobs in an industry generated by, or attributable to, tourism spending on the goods and/or services produced by that industry. It is based on an estimate of jobs rather than “hours of work”. Thus, someone who works 10 hours a week counts for as much, by this measure, as someone who works 50 hours a week.