Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Yesterday we wrote about the big jump in tourism to Nova Scotia during the first half of this year, a number fueled in part by a 12 per cent increase in travel from the United States.

But, it turns out, Nova Scotia isn’t the only Canadian destination feeling the love from American travellers.

It could just be Americans scouting out where they want to live if the upcoming election doesn't go their way, but according to new research from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel & Tourism Office, travel from the U.S. to Canada during the first four months of the year increased by 11 per cent. In April alone, 801,000 Americans visited Canada, a 14 per cent increase over the same period last year.

And lest you think this traffic is largely attributable to the drive market, consider this. Inbound Americans arriving via air totaled 279,000 for the month of April, a 23 per cent increase over 2015.

The bump puts Canada among the regions showing the biggest increase in travellers, with only South America clocking in with a greater growth (by percentage.)

For the first four months of the year, Canada welcomed a total 12 per cent share of all American travellers. Despite the bump, it remained the third-most popular region for American travellers. Mexico, which welcomed 2.34 million U.S. travellers for the month, an increase of five per cent, remains firmly in first place. Interestingly, however, overnight traffic to Mexico’s border cities decreased by one percent.

The second-most popular region among American travellers is Europe, which welcomed 976,000 visitors in April, reflecting a growth of five per cent.

While pundits continue to call the American economy “shaky,” this uncertainty doesn’t seem to be affecting Americans' travel plans.

In total, some 5.8 million American travellers took an international trip during April 2016, an increase of 10 per cent over the previous year. During the first four months of the year, 22.9 million Americans travelled internationally.

Region by Region Breakdown (April 2016)

• Mexico, 2.34 million travellers, +5 per cent
• Europe, 976,000 travellers; +5 per cent
• Canada, 801,000 travellers, +14 per cent
• Caribbean, 688,000 travellers, +2 per cent
• Asia, 440,000 travellers, +9 per cent
• Central America, 222,000 travellers, +6 per cent
• Middle East, 147,000 travellers, +1 per cent
• South America, 145,000 travellers, +15 per cent
• Oceania, 48,000 travellers, +11 per cent
• Africa, 27,000 travellers, +7 per cent

For more information, visit http://travel.trade.gov/.

Follow @MonicaPoling