The number of tourists travelling to Canada increased for the fourth straight quarter in October 2002, fuelled primarily by strong tourism numbers from the United States and a resurgence from Asia.

Results published by Statistics Canada indicate that the total seasonally unadjusted international overnight travel to Canada increased by a 17.3 per cent in October 2002, compared to October 2001. This gain was the fourth consecutive monthly increase in 2002. For the first ten months of 2002, the total numbers were up 1.3 per cent, indicating slow but positive growth over the same period in 2001.

"These numbers, released today, indicate that October represents a significant milestone for 2002," said Jim Watson, president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC).

The number of Canadian tourists travelling overseas was up 15.5 per cent.