Never have more tourists travelled to Canada as in 2018. The country welcomed no less than 21,13 million tourists. That is the highest number of traveller ever, according to Destination Canada. It is the second year in a row that Canada has broken its own record. In 2017 21 million travellers arrived.
Tourism is an important part of the Canadian economy. British travellers headed to Canada need to possess an eTA Canada.
Tourism record Canada smashed
Never before have this many tourists travelled to Canada as in the previous year. Minister of Tourism Mélanie Joly welcomes this increase, which has proven a great boon to the Canadian economy. The steady increase in tourism has led to a substantial growth of the tourism sector, creating more jobs. Middle-class families in particular have greatly benefits from this, says the minister.
Canada has set itself the goal of becoming one of the most visited countries in the world. According to Destination Canada, 745.300 jobs were created in various regions in Canada. This led to a revenue of 10,25 billion Canadian dollars.
Passion and dedication to the Canadian tourist sector
That the Canadian tourist sector has been doing so well can be attributed to the passion and dedication with which Canadians have been pushing tourism in Canada, according to Destination Canada president Ben Cowan-Dewar. Many thousands of Canadians are active in the tourist sector. The majority of tourists came from neighbouring America.
In 2018, a healthy 6,7 million tourists from the United States came to Canada, which accounted for 32 percent of total tourists in Canada. Faraway countries are also popular among tourists. In recent years, Canada invested more in building new flight routes on Canadian airports. Most tourists come from Australia, India, South-Korea, Japan, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Mexico.
International travellers to Canada
British travellers, and any other travellers that do not have a Canadian or US passport, need to apply for an eTA Canada online if they wish to travel to Canada. This does not just apply to holidays, but also studies, family visits or business trips. Transits through Canada also require you to possess an eTA Canada. Only if you possess a Canadian or US passport, or a Canada visa, are you exempt from this requirements
Applying for the digital travel permit is a lot cheaper and easier than applying for the regular Canada visa. An eTA Canada application can be submitted online; for the Canada visa, an appointment has to be made at the Canadian consulate.
An eTA Canada application
eTA Canada stands for Electronic Travel Authorization. It is an electronic travel permit to travel to Canada by plane. The immigration service screens all applicants for an eTA Canada for potential safety risks. If it is assumed that the traveller will not pose a threat, he or she is allowed in on an eTA Canada. It is important to correctly write down the information on the passport when filling out the form, as these details are instantly linked to the eTA Canada.
The benefit of this system is that the application is reported to both the airline as well as the authorities right away. It is therefore not necessary to print an eTA Canada.
An eTA Canada is valid for up to five years after granting. However, a new eTA Canada needs to be applied for earlier if the passport expires. During these five years, you can travel to Canada an unlimited number of times. However, each stay can last a maximum of six months, and the passport needs to be valid until at least one day after departure.
Do I need to have already booked a return ticket?
To submit a Canada eTa application it is necessary to possess a ticket for a return or transit flight. This functions as proof that you are not planning to stay in Canada illegally. Business are permitted with this travel permit, but you cannot enter into service with a Canadian employee.
A Canada eTA application can be easily submitted online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Applying takes about five minutes. Make sure that the information in your passport is correctly written down. The application costs £29.95 per person. Underage children require their own passport and eTA Canada.
Urgent eTA Canada application
In urgent need of an eTA Canada? Generally speaking, a regular application is processed within 72 hours. An urgent application is often approved within 18 minutes. The Canadian immigration service can, however, take longer, meaning no guarantees can be given regarding delivery times.
Please note: this news article about the eTA for Canada is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the eTA for Canada.