The summer months tend to see the highest levels of visitor activity, while the autumn months tend to be a period of slower visitor activity. July was the busiest but only by about 15 percent over the average month. September was likewise the softest month but within about 6 percent of the average month. Three peak points mark the year - March, July and December. As Figure 1 shows, the seasonal patterns of the three major MMAs - U.S. West, U.S. East and Japan, vary from the average but have, for the most part, a similar seasonal highs and lows.
All markets peak during the summer and experience low periods in the spring and autumn.
In that sense these markets tend to reinforce, rather than counter the overall seasonal pattern. Figure 2 charts the seasonal trends of the four smaller markets. There is more variation in the seasonal patterns among these markets particularly for Canada. The pattern for the Canadian market is nearly opposite the overall market pattern, with the strongest periods being late autumn and winter and the weakest periods in the summer months. The other markets tend to be weaker than average in the winter and spring but stronger than average in the late summer and the autumn.