In this article, you'll find information to help interpret your VisitorView dashboards.
The VisitorView Tourism Suite provides estimates of visitors to Canadian tourism regions, sub-regions, provinces, all CMAs, CDs, and CSDs with 50,000+ population. Five dashboard pages are available, though the Profile page is dependent on a PRIZM or PRIZM Premier license. In the example below, we look at VisitorView within Canada.
Please note that the Profile dashboard can only be used with origins and destinations within Canada and the U.S.
You can export most elements on the dashboards by clicking the three dots at the top right of the element.
Questions it can Answer
- Which neighbourhoods have the highest propensity for travel to my destination?
- How effective are our marketing campaigns in attracting highly engaged visitors from different origins?
- What are the peak travel months in my region?
- Where are the most travellers coming from?
- Which areas experience the highest visitor activity?
- What infrastructure improvements are needed to accommodate visitors?
- What are the top traveller segments visiting a destination?
- How long do travellers typically stay in a destination?
- Which traveller markets are most likely to visit retail areas?
- How can retail destinations align with broader tourism trends to attract more travellers?
- Which regions are experiencing the highest influx of overnight visitors?
- How many nights do visitors typically spend in these regions?
- What are the peak travel seasons, and how can we adjust our pricing and staffing accordingly?
Origin & Destination
These fields are consistently present in every dashboard, defining the visitors being assessed.
- Origin Category: Select between country or region categories.
- Origin Name: Select specific countries or global regions within the categories.
- Destination Category: The level of geography used for the report.
- Destination Name: The specific place visited.
Data and Visualization
These fields define which counts generate values and how they are presented.
-
Measure: Select from Nights, Trips, Visitors, Nights
per Trip, or Nights per Visitor.
- Visitors: Total visitors from origin to destination. Only Available for Canadian Origins.
- Nights: Total nights spent by visitors.
- Trips: Total trips taken by visitors.
- Nights per Trip: Average nights spent per trip by visitors.
- Nights per Visitor: Average nights spent per visitor. Only Available for Canadian Origins.
-
View by: Select your data presentation, which varies
depending on your dashboard.
- % Change vs. Previous Year: The rate of change between the current timeframe and the same timeframe in the previous year.
- % Change vs. Previous Timeframe: The rate of change between the current timeframe and the most recent previous timeframe.
-
Measure: The total count for the current
timeframe.
- Previous Timeframe & Measure Previous Year: Unique to the Detail dashboard; Includes the Measure values from the previous timeframe or year for comparison.
- Index: Unique to the Profile dashboard; Orders the measure by PRIZM® SESI code. When selected, you can easily view which segments are over- or under-indexing on the graph.
- Timeframe: The time period the report used to present and compare data.
Example Report
In the screenshot below of the Overview dashboard, the destination is the province of British Columbia, the Origins selected are all provinces excluding our destination, the measure is trips, and the timeframe is months, looking at March 2025 versus the previous timeframe, February 2025. The overview shows that, on average, travelers from all provinces spend 3.5 nights per trip. Alberta is the top origin by trip traveling to BC at 304.1 thousand, up 46.9% from last month. Within BC, we can also see that most of these trips are to Vancouver.
The Profile dashboard shows our trips by segment. Filters can be added
to isolate specific segments by index, social group, and lifestage group.
Looking at the Profile here, we can see that segment 11 takes the most
trips, while segment 24 over-indexes for trips taken compared the proportion
of the population in the segment.
Look at the Trends Analysis dashboard from January 1st, 2023, to March 31st, 2025. We can see consistent trip frequency spiking from March to October, with November to February being relatively flat.
Looking at our Destination and Origin Comparison dashboard, we can compare the trip trends for the tourism regions within BC. The trendline shows that the Vancouver, Coasts & Mountains tourism regions have the most trips, and remain more consistent throughout the year, whereas other regions tend to peak around June to August and then flatten out for the rest of the year.
Finally,
there is also a Details dashboard for more granular analysis and exporting
the data, not shown in this article.
Additional FAQs
Data is updated monthly, on the 5th of every month and approximately 40 days after the end of the reference month. For example:
May 2025 (Final)
June 2025 (Leading)
May 2025 (Final)
June 2025 (Leading)
May 2025 (Final)
June 2025 (Leading)
When conducting analysis using Years or Quarters as a timeframe, you will notice a “YTD” note at the end of the year or quarter. For example, 2025 YTD or Q2 2025 YTD. This is to serve as a reminder that these timeframes do not yet contain full data, so use caution when looking at year-over-year or period-over-period metrics.
How do I export data out of the dashboard? What file formats are supported?
There are a couple ways to export data: you can export the entire dashboard page or single elements from the dashboard.
To export the entire dashboard to PowerPoint or PDF, click the Export button in the header menu.
To export a certain data point from the dashboard, hover over the element you want to export and click the three dots in the top-right corner, then click Export data. Dashboard elements can be exported to .xlsx or .csv format.
The Details page is purpose built for users who would like to export their data. You may set the filters to your desired selection of measures, timeframes, origins & destinations, and export your table using the steps detailed above.
Can I save my view and return to it later?
Yes, click the save icon in the top-right corner of the dashboard to bookmark a view and return to it later.
The maximum number of bookmarks is 20. When you bookmark a view, the following are saved:
- The current page
- Filters
- Visual selection state
- Sort order
- Drill location
For more information on bookmarking, click here.
What is the difference between the Destination Category filter and the Detailed Geography filter?
The Destination Category filter dictates the type or level of geography appearing in the Destination Name filter. Once a Destination Category and Destination Name are selected, you can use the Detailed Geography filter to drill-down on smaller destination geographies within the Destination Category. On the Overview page for example, if my Destination Category is Province, Destination Name is Alberta, and the Detailed Geography is Census Subdivision, this shows me a list of Census Subdivision destinations within Alberta.
What’s the difference between “% Change Previous Timeframe” and “% Change Previous Year”?
% Change Previous Timeframe compares the selected timeframe to the one directly before it, regardless of the calendar year. Example: If you select Q2 2025, this metric compares it to Q1 2025.
% Change Previous Year compares the selected timeframe to the same period in the previous year. Example: If you select Q2 2025, this metric compares it to Q2 2024.
Let’s say you’re looking at Spring 2025 (April–June): % Change Previous Timeframe compares Spring 2025 to Winter 2024–2025 (December–March). % Change Previous Year compares Spring 2025 to Spring 2024 (April–June 2024).
This distinction is important when analyzing trends, especially with seasonal data.
What does the “i” icon next to the timeframe filter show when a seasonal timeframe is selected?
When you choose a seasonal timeframe type, an “i” icon appears next to the timeframe filter. Hovering over this icon reveals which months are included in each season:
- Winter: December to March
- Spring: April to June
- Summer: July to August
- Fall: September to November
Why does the winter season include months from two different years?
The winter season spans December to March, which means it crosses calendar years. For example, selecting "Winter 2025" will include data from December 2024 to March 2025. This ensures the full seasonal period is captured accurately and aligns with industry standards.
Should I compare seasonal data on a Trends chart?
Yes, but with caution. Seasonal timeframes vary in length. For example:
- Winter spans 4 months (December–March)
- Summer spans 2 months (July–August)
This means each bar on a seasonal trend chart represents a different amount of time. So if Winter shows more visits than Summer, it doesn’t necessarily mean Winter is busier — it just covers more days.
Is it meaningful to compare % Change between seasons?
Sometimes, but not always. Since seasons cover different durations, comparing metrics like % Change Previous Timeframe (e.g., Spring vs. Summer) can be misleading. A larger change might simply reflect a longer timeframe, not a true shift in behaviour.Use these comparisons with caution.
Why does the timeframe calendar picker not allow you to select the entirety of the most recent month?
This is expected and is a result of Power BI’s functionality. For example, when June 1 is selected on the calendar, rest assured that the entire month of June data will be included. The dashboard does not currently support selecting only certain days within a month.
When should I use the Trend Analysis page?
Use the Trend Analysis page when you want to see how nights, trips, and/or visitors to your destination trend over time, from various origins across Canada, the US, and internationally, all at once. You can also compare it to 1 & 2 years prior.
When should I use the Destination & Origin Comparison page?
Use the Comparison – Destination graph to get a detailed look at how nights, trips, and/or visitors are trending to your destinations over time. You can compare many destinations within the graph.
Similarly, use the Comparison – Origin graph to see how nights, trips, and/or visitors from any origin trends to your destinations over time. You can compare many origins at once within the graph, providing more detail than the Trends Analysis page.
What does it mean when the “i” icon in the top right corner is yellow?
Hover over the yellow “i” icon to see the latest product updates.
What does it mean when the “i” icon in the top right corner is red?
When the “i” icon turns red, it indicates there is a filtering error on the dashboard. It will be accompanied by a message explaining how to resolve the filtering error.
I’m not sure what the values on the profile chart mean. Where can I find help?
If you're unsure about how the values are calculated or what they represent, simply hover over the "i" icon on the right side of the profile table. It will show a breakdown of each metric and how it's derived.
What does the “i” icon on the profile chart show?
The 'i' icon located on the right side of the profile table provides detailed explanations of the metrics shown on the profile page. These include:
- Count
- % (Percentage)
- Base Count
- Base %
- % Penetration
- Index
- % Change vs Previous Year
- % Change vs Previous Timeframe
Hovering over the icon will display a tooltip with definitions and calculation logic for each metric.