With the excitement over the Royal visit, comes news British Columbia exceeded the three-million mark for international visitors for the first half of 2016. A 12.5% increase over the same period last year.
In addition, 885,075 international visitors came to B.C. in July alone – an 11.8% increase compared to July 2015.
Notable figures for July 2016:
- United Kingdom – up 35.8%
- Australia – up 30.4%
- South Korea – up 22.4%
- Europe – up 21.1%
- Mexico – up 20%
- China – up 11.4%
- United States – up 10.1%
A combination of a low Canadian dollar, increased air access and capacity to Vancouver, and Destination BC’s new international marketing strategy seem to be behind the increase.
For example, the growth of overnight entries from China was partly due to increased air access – a new three-times-per-week flight on Xiamen Airlines was introduced between China and Vancouver in late July.
The Province invests more than $98 million annually in the tourism sector. According to government statistics, the industry supports nearly 19,000 businesses and 127,500 employees across the province.
The Royal Tour is expected to bring even more attention to our beautiful part of the world, Grant Mackay, vice-president, Destination BC, “As the Royal couple’s visit approaches, and hundreds of international journalists turn their attention to our province, B.C. will continue to shine on the world stage.”
