The latest figures on international travel underscore the value of the Olympic Games in bringing guests to Canada.

A member of the RCMP Musical Ride poses in front of the Olympic cauldron at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

While the Olympics were underway in Vancouver in February, the number of visitors to the country increased 5.2 per cent from the previous month, Statistics Canada reported Monday.

The federal agency also says there was a 40.8 per cent increase in the number of same-day car trips to British Columbia by U.S. residents.

Visitors from overseas made 370,000 trips to Canada in February, a 2.6 per cent hike from January. Guests from the Netherlands increased their visits to Canada by 61.8 per cent, the highest of any country.

Meanwhile, Canadian residents took 4.2 million trips outside the country in February, a 0.7 per cent decline from January.