Canada once again a top destination for overseas visitors

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Vancouver, British Columbia – The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture), today announced the results of a strong year for the tourism industry in Canada.

He was accompanied by the Honourable Naomi Yamamoto, British Columbia Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business, and by David Goldstein, President and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC).

In 2014, overnight arrivals to Canada by non-residents reached 17.1 million, a year-over-year increase of more than 3 percent (more than 537,600 tourists) and more than double the growth rate of tourists in 2013.

Over this same period, Canada saw an increase of over 10 percent in overnight arrivals from the CTC’s overseas markets. The CTC operates international leisure market promotional activities in 10 countries around the world.

Tourism makes an important contribution to the Canadian economy, with businesses large and small employing hundreds of thousands of workers in communities across the country.

In 2014, the tourism industry provided nearly 628,000 direct jobs, and tourism revenues in Canada reached $88.5 billion.

Quick facts
– Between January and December 2014, Canada welcomed over 17.1 million international tourists.
– In 2014, Canada welcomed 29 percent more tourists from China (454,000), 19 percent more from India (176,000) and 14 percent more from Mexico (173,000).

Quotes
“Canada’s reputation as one of the best places in the world to live, work and invest continues to attract visitors from across the globe. The government recognizes that tourism is a significant growth driver for our country, and we will continue to work with industry and other levels of government to support an internationally competitive sector.”
– The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism; Agriculture)

“British Columbia is a world-class destination for international visitors with 4.7 million people visiting our province in 2014.

That’s nearly a quarter of a million more people who came to B.C. in 2014 compared to 2013. Our work with the federal government and our tourism partners, as well as our focus on the tourism sector in the BC Jobs Plan, means we expect even more visitors will come experience our beautiful province.”
– The Honourable Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business, Government of British Columbia