Canada's tourism spending dropped further to 2.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, after witnessing a 48.8 per cent year-over-year drop in 2020, Statistics Canada has said.
The tourism GDP contracted by 1.3 per cent and jobs attributable to the industry was also reduced during the first quarter this year.
The decline in tourism spending was due to lower spending on passenger air transport which plunged 22.9 per cent.
The spending on recreation and entertainment, which fell 9.7 per cent, and vehicle fuel, which dropped 4.5 per cent, also contributed to the decline, the report said.
Meanwhile, tourism spending in Canada was 57.3 per cent less than the pre-COVID pandemic levels of the fourth quarter of 2019.
Employment attributable to tourism declined 5.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, following a 1.1 per cent increase in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Food and beverage services lost 4.4 per cent while accommodation decreased 5.4 per cent and recreation and entertainment fell 9.8 per cent.
Tourism spending in Canada by Canadians decreased 3.1 per cent in the first quarter as increased restrictions were implemented across the country to counter the effects of the second wave of the pandemic.