Canada saw a record breaking number of tourists in 2018

For the second consecutive year, Canada has seen a record breaking number of visitors come to the country, according to Destination Canada.

A whopping 21.13 million tourists visited the Great White North in 2018, the first time Canada has ever broken the 21 million mark, and surpassing the previous record which was set in 2017.

“The results released today once again demonstrate that tourism is a key part of the Canadian economy,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie in a statement.

“Canada’s tourism sector creates good jobs and supports middle-class families in every region of the country. Our government is determined to help this sector reach its full potential.

According to Destination Canada, tourism generates 745,300 jobs across Canada and contributes roughly $102.5 billion to the national economy.

2018 also saw a record breaking number of tourists from China, France, Mexico, and India with the countries surpassing 700K, 600K, 400K, and 200K respectively.

Moreover, overseas tourists are spending longer in Canada than ever before.

A few reasons for the increase in tourists can attributed to marketing efforts, visa changes for priority markets, and increased Canadian airport flight capacity. In 2018, there were 2 million more seats on flights than in 2017.

“These strong results reflect the passion and dedication of the thousands of Canadians who work in our tourism sector,” said Ben Cowan-Dewar, Chairperson of Destination Canada’s Board of Directors.

“Destination Canada has aligned industry partners across the country when marketing Canada internationally to give Canada a competitive edge and consistent voice to position Canada as top of mind for travellers from all over the world.”