Record-breaking number of tourists visited Canada in 2019

For the third consecutive year, Canada saw a record-breaking year for tourism.

This past year, 22.1 million travellers came to the great white north according to Statistics Canada, which generated an estimated $104.9 billion in tourism expenditures.

“This record number of arrivals shows once more that tourism is a strong and sustainable sector that benefits businesses and communities, large and small, across Canada,” Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, said in a news release.

“By working together, we are inspiring travellers to visit more parts of the country in all four seasons, to experience Canada’s diversity and inclusivity, to taste its culinary delicacies and to discover its Indigenous peoples,” she continued.

Nearly a third of tourists came from the United States (U.S.), as overnight arrivals to Canada from the U.S. reached an all-time high of 7.15 million–an increase of 450,000 from 2018.

Additionally, an increase of 2.2 per cent of available seats among air services helped the number of travellers flying to Canada–who are more likely to stay longer and spend more money.