OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says Canadian international travel rebounded sharply in October as the transportation industry continued its post-pandemic recovery.

The agency says Canadian residents returned from 3.3 million trips abroad in October, nearly four times the figure recorded during the same month of 2021.

International arrivals to Canada, which includes both visitors and returning residents of Canada, hit almost three-quarters the level seen in October 2019 before the pandemic began.

On Oct. 1, all COVID-19 border restrictions, including vaccination, mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app and all testing and quarantine requirements, were removed for all travellers entering Canada by land, air and sea.

Statistics Canada says air transportation rose 5.5 per cent in October compared with the previous month, reaching the highest level of activity since February 2020.

Still, the agency says despite easing restrictions and nine months of uninterrupted gains in air transportation, the activity level recorded in October was still about 34 per cent below the pre-pandemic level.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2022.