International visitors drive B.C. tourism growth
It turns out that 2017 marked a 14-year high for annual international tourism to B.C. Some 7.9 million international travellers entered the province last year, an increase of 3.5 per cent over 2016. And the data for the first quarter of 2018 look even better, setting the stage for another record-breaking year for the industry.
Who visits B.C.?
Since 2010, the number of international visitors is up nearly a quarter. That’s partly attributable to strategic marketing in Europe, Asia and other high-priority foreign markets. Americans make up the biggest share of B.C.’s foreign visitor profile, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all international travellers. However, the province has also seen sizable increases in visitors from other key markets such as Mexico, Australia and China.
Indeed, China has emerged as B.C.’s number two international tourism market, with the province welcoming more than 300,000 Chinese visitors last year. Even more Chinese tourists are expected in 2018 as January marked the start of the Canada-China Year of Tourism. The province recently struck a deal with WeChat, China’s largest social networking app, to promote tourism in B.C., which should lead to a further boost in Chinese tourists over the course of 2018.