Arctic tourism is measured differently across northern destinations, from quarterly visits in Canada’s territories to overnight stays in Finnish Lapland. The latest figures show strong seasonal demand, a large business-travel component in Nunavut, and visitor spending that varies sharply by travel mode.
Table of contents
- Arctic tourism across northern destinations
- Who visits Nunavut
- How visitors reach Nunavut
- Activities and communities in Nunavut
- Nunavut tourism spending
- Northwest Territories tourism demand
- Lapland accommodation demand
Arctic tourism across northern destinations
Statistics Canada recorded 180,000 non-resident visits to Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut in the second quarter of 2024. That was up from 152,000 visits in the second quarter of 2023, but below the second-quarter record of 232,000 visits in 2019. The figures cover the three Canadian territories together, not the entire circumpolar Arctic. Tourism in the territories: Visits, expenditures, and getting around
Non-resident visitors spent $127.7 million in the three territories in Q2 2024. This exceeded the previous second-quarter spending record of $122.1 million in Q2 2018. The quarterly high for visits was 355,000 in Q3 2018, while the quarterly spending record was $141.4 million in that same quarter.
The series also shows how much Arctic travel changes by season. There were 52,000 non-resident visits in Q4 2023, the highest fourth-quarter total recorded, followed by 45,000 visits in Q1 2024. Visitors averaged 6.3 nights per visit in Q1 2019, the longest quarterly average in the series. These are historical series measures, so they should not be treated as current forecasts.
| Measure | Period | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident visits to Canada’s three territories | Q2 2024 | 180,000 |
| Non-resident visits to Canada’s three territories | Q2 2023 | 152,000 |
| Second-quarter visit record | Q2 2019 | 232,000 |
| Non-resident spending | Q2 2024 | $127.7 million |
| Quarterly visit record | Q3 2018 | 355,000 |
| Quarterly spending record | Q3 2018 | $141.4 million |
Who visits Nunavut
Nunavut’s July-through-September 2025 tourism measures count 22,800 trips by non-Nunavut residents. Canadian residents made 16,000 trips, or 70.2% of the total. Ontario residents accounted for 4,900 trips, representing 21.5% of all trips, while British Columbia residents made 2,700 trips, or 11.8%.
International travel made up the remaining reported origin groups. United States residents made 3,700 trips, or 16.2% of the total, and overseas residents made 3,100 trips, or 13.6%. Percentages describe the Q3 2025 total and are not a measure of unique travelers. Nunavut tourism, July to September 2025
The origin mix changed unevenly compared with Q3 2024. United States visitor trips increased 27.6% year over year in Q3 2025, while overseas visitor trips increased 6.9%. These changes refer to trips, not necessarily people, and the Nunavut figures are not seasonally adjusted.
How visitors reach Nunavut
Commercial air was the main travel mode in Q3 2025, accounting for 15,800 trips, or 69.3% of Nunavut visitor trips. Cruise ships accounted for 7,000 trips, or 30.7%. The two modes show opposite year-over-year movement: commercial-air trips decreased 18.6% from Q3 2024, while cruise trips increased 25.0%.
Travel purpose was nearly evenly divided overall. Business was the main purpose for 11,800 trips, or 51.8%, and personal travel was the main purpose for 11,000 trips, or 48.2%. Among commercial-air visits specifically, business travel represented 74.7% in Q3 2025. That distinction matters when interpreting Nunavut’s total visitor numbers: the overall trip mix is close to balanced, but air travel is heavily business-oriented. The Daily — Nunavut Air Exit Survey and Nunavut Cruise Exit Survey, third quarter 2025
The following Q3 2025 comparison separates the total trip mix from the change since the previous year:
| Nunavut measure | Q3 2025 result | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial-air trips | 15,800 | -18.6% |
| Cruise trips | 7,000 | +25.0% |
| Business-purpose trips | 11,800 | 51.8% of total |
| Personal-purpose trips | 11,000 | 48.2% of total |
Activities and communities in Nunavut
Among air trips in Q3 2025, attending a business meeting, conference, or seminar was reported on 8,600 trips. Sightseeing appeared on 8,200 air trips. Dining out or visiting a restaurant, bar, or club was reported on 6,300 trips, and shopping on 6,000. Wildlife viewing or birdwatching was reported on 5,000 air trips.
These activity figures can overlap because a single trip may include more than one activity. They therefore describe reported trip activities rather than a ranking of exclusive visitor purposes. The presence of both business meetings and sightseeing in the same data is consistent with a mixed travel market, especially for commercial-air visitors. Nunavut tourism, July to September 2025
Air visitation was concentrated among several Nunavut communities. Iqaluit recorded 9,000 visits by air, followed by Cambridge Bay with 5,900 and Rankin Inlet with 4,500. Cruise visitation had a different pattern: Cambridge Bay recorded 4,000 cruise-ship visits, Gjoa Haven recorded 3,400, and Pond Inlet recorded 2,900. These are visits recorded in the Q3 2025 tourism data, not a count of residents or unique people.
Nunavut tourism spending
Total visitor spending in Nunavut reached $46.1 million in Q3 2025, with average expenditure of about $2,000 per trip. Accommodation was the largest listed category at $31.9 million. Food and beverage spending totaled $8.3 million, followed by local transportation at $2.3 million and clothing and gifts at $2.0 million. Recreation and entertainment spending totaled $880,900.
Commercial-air visitors accounted for $45.3 million of spending. Business travelers contributed $38.0 million, or 84.0% of commercial-air visitor spending. This concentration helps explain why a smaller number of air trips can represent most reported spending, and why total visitor spending should not be interpreted as leisure-tourism spending alone.
Cruise passenger spending rose 127.6% year over year to $859,200 in Q3 2025. Canadian-resident cruise passengers spent $355,100, or 41.3% of cruise spending, while United States cruise passengers spent $283,500, or 33.0%. The cruise spending increase is measured against Q3 2024 and does not mean that cruise spending exceeded air spending in the quarter. The Daily — Nunavut Air Exit Survey and Nunavut Cruise Exit Survey, third quarter 2025
| Nunavut spending measure | Q3 2025 amount |
|---|---|
| Total visitor spending | $46.1 million |
| Accommodation | $31.9 million |
| Food and beverage | $8.3 million |
| Local transportation | $2.3 million |
| Clothing and gifts | $2.0 million |
| Recreation and entertainment | $880,900 |
| Commercial-air visitors | $45.3 million |
All Nunavut spending figures are in current Canadian dollars. The measures exclude Nunavut residents and are not seasonally adjusted.
Northwest Territories tourism demand
The Northwest Territories recorded 75,600 visitors during the tourism year from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Visitor volume grew 5% compared with 2023–24, while visitor spending reached $155 million and showed 19% adjusted growth over the previous tourism year. However, the 2024–25 visitor volume was 65% of the territory’s 2019 pre-pandemic level. Tourism in the NWT: A Year in Review 2024-2025
The Northwest Territories’ activity estimates show a strong aurora component. Aurora viewing generated an estimated 35,900 visits in 2024–25. Business travel generated an estimated 16,630 visits, outdoor adventure 4,530, and fishing 2,720. These figures are modeled estimates for the tourism year and may be revised; they should not be read as directly observed unique-person counts. Northwest Territories Visitation
Lapland accommodation demand
Finnish Lapland recorded 0.52 million overnight stays by non-resident tourists in December 2024. The hotel-room occupancy rate was 82% that month. These figures measure overnight stays at accommodation establishments, not unique people: one visitor staying multiple nights contributes multiple overnight stays. The December 2024 figures are preliminary or revised official statistics. Number of overnight stays by non-resident tourists at accommodation establishments in Lapland continued growing in December 2024
Lapland’s December measure is also geographically and conceptually different from the Canadian figures above. It covers Finnish Lapland and accommodation demand during one month, whereas the Nunavut results cover non-resident trips during Q3 2025 and the Northwest Territories results cover a full tourism year. Keeping those periods, geographies, and definitions separate is essential when comparing Arctic tourism statistics.