Canada's international travel deficit jumped to 7.2 billion Canadian dollars (US$6.1 billion) in 2006, an all-time high level, the country's statistics agency reported Monday.

 

The deficit -- the difference between spending by Canadians abroad and spending by foreigners in Canada -- has more than quadrupled since 2002, Statistics Canada said.

 

It increased by 1.4 billion Canadian dollars (US$1.2 billion) from that in 2005.

 

According to the report, Canadian residents spent an estimated 23.6 billion Canadian dollars (US$20.1 billion) outside the country in 2006, up 6.2 percent from the previous high in 2005.

 

Foreigners in Canada spent about 16.4 billion Canadian dollars (US$13.9 billion) in 2006, a slight decline from the previous year.

 

Canadian spending abroad has gone up 27.9 percent since 2001, while there has been little movement in foreign spending in Canada, the report said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2007)