Tourism numbers released by Statistics Canada show the amount of international visitors to British Columbia grew by almost five per cent in September, according to a release from the Province.
More than 26,000 additional people visited B.C. over the same month in 2016 and it’s being chalked up in part to an increase in direct flights to the province.
READ MORE: B.C. sees uptick in international tourism in 2016
The majority of these travellers came from Australia (19.6 per cent increase) and Germany (18.6 per cent increase). Total overnight custom entires from international travellers year-to-date has also risen three per cent so far this year, with custom officials welcoming another 139,951 people in 2017.
Other notable increases include:
- United States (including same-day visitors) – up 7.4 per cent
- France – up 4.4 per cent
- Japan – up 4.1 per cent
- China – up 2.0 per cent
- Asia/Pacific – up 2.5 per cent
Year-to-date increase paint a similar picture with the exception of Mexico:
- Australia – up 22.4 per cent
- Mexico – up 21.7 per cent
- Germany – up 14.9 per cent
- China – up 6.2 per cent
- Japan – up 4.3 per cent
- United States (including same-day visitors) – up 2.3 per cent
- United Kingdom – up 2.2 per cent
- France – up 2.0 per cent
- Asia/Pacific – up 6.2 per cent
- Europe – up 3.5 per cent
