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June 08, 2026VISITOR TRAVEL SURVEY, Q4 AND ANNUAL 2025 Year-over-year (Q4 2025 vs Q4 2024)
International visitors to Nova Scotia spent $130.1 million in Q4 2025. Expenditures by visitors from the US were the majority, accounting for 68.3% of total visitor spending in Nova Scotia. International visitor expenditures were down 0.6% from the same period in 2024. Across Canada, international visitor expenditures were up 12.4% with gains in all provinces except Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. Manitoba reported the largest year-over-year gain in international visitor expenditures in Q4.
Recreation and entertainment expenditures reported the largest percentage gain in Nova Scotia's international visitor expenditures, followed by transportation. All other categories were down in Q4 2025 compared to Q4 2024 with the steepest decline in clothing and gifts.
Annual (2025 vs 2024)
International visitor expenditures in Nova Scotia edged up 0.4% in 2025 (compared to 2024). Nationally, visitor expenditure increased 9.6% with gains in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. Manitoba had the largest gain in international visitor expenditures.
Other types of expenditures reported the only substantial gain in 2025 compared to 2024 along with rises in recreation/entertainment and transportation. Annual international expenditures were down for accommodations, food/beverage and clothing/gifts.
In unadjusted results by quarter, Nova Scotia's Q4 accommodations expenditures by international visitors were little changed over the last three years.
Clothing and gift spending by international visitors to Nova Scotia were substantially lower than 2024 Q4 results.
Food and beverage spending in Nova Scotia by international visitors declined in Q4 2025.
Recreation and entertainment spending in Nova Scotia by international visitors increased sharpy in Q4 2025.
Expenditures on transportation (including the effects of fuel price changes) rebounded in Q4 2025.
Other international visitor spending in Nova Scotia were substantially higher in Q4 2024 and Q4 2025 than in previous Q4 results.
Overall international visitor expenditures in Q4 were stable in 2025.
Notes: Statistics Canada’s Visitor Travel Survey (VTS) provides quarterly statistics on United States and overseas visitors to Canada, their characteristics of travel and their spending levels. From the first quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2020, spending data were derived from a Small Area Estimation model. Collection activity related to the VTS was suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic; estimates from the second quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2023 were produced using a model based on historical 2019 VTS estimates combined with alternate data and adjusted with Frontier Counts results. As of April 2023, VTS collection partially resumed, with the Air Exit Survey (AES) restarting in five major Canadian airports. The non-air component of VTS (visitors arriving by modes of transportation other than air) uses modelled data based on historical VTS estimates while the air component is based on estimates obtained from AES survey results.
The Frontier Counts program at Statistics Canada receives administrative data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on all international arrivals into the country, consisting of both non-resident visitors to Canada and Canadian residents returning from abroad.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 24-10-0066-01 Visits, nights and spending for visitors to Canada by geography of visit, residency and mode of transport (x 1,000)
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