Tourism in Canada
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Canada has a large domestic and foreign tourism industry. The
In 2019, over 22 million tourists arrived in Canada, bringing in over US$21 billion in international tourism receipts to the economy.[1] Domestic and international tourism combined directly contributes 1% of Canada's total GDP and supports 309,000 jobs in the country.[2]
Statistics
Most visitors arriving to Canada in 2015 came from the following countries of residence[3]
Rank | Country | Number |
---|---|---|
1 | United States | 22,057,860 |
2 | United Kingdom | 733,280 |
3 | China | 511,234 |
4 | France | 507,627 |
5 | Germany | 343,716 |
6 | Australia | 307,123 |
7 | Japan | 294,934 |
8 | Mexico | 204,756 |
9 | South Korea | 204,741 |
10 | India | 200,094 |
Total visiting foreign residents | 27,554,943 |
World Heritage Sites in Canada
There are 22 World Heritage Sites in Canada, including one of the oldest,
Canada's provinces and territories
British Columbia
British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province and touches the Pacific Ocean.[5] The winters in the coastal areas are relatively warm in comparison to the rest of Canada. British Columbia is divided into 6 regions:
- Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
- Thompson Okanagan
- Cariboo Coast Chilcotin
- Northern British Columbia
- Kootenay Rockies
- Vancouver Island
British Columbia is Canada's most mountainous province and has some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. Alpine
Vancouver, the largest Canadian metropolitan area west of Toronto, is one of Canada's most multi-cultural cities. There is a large community of people of Asian origin.[7] Vancouver is a harbour city and provides beautiful landscapes of mountains and ocean.
Sites of interest in Vancouver
- Capilano Suspension Bridge, a 136-metre-long (446 ft) bridge 70 m above the Capilano River
- Stanley Park, a large forested park near downtown, the largest city owned park in Canada. Eight million visitors each year.
- Granville Island, a small island near downtown with a public market, marina, shopping and theatres.
- Chinatown, Vancouver, one of the largest in North America.
- Robson Street, a bustling upscale shopping district with a good selection of restaurants.
- Gastown, a mix of tourist-oriented businesses, restaurants and nightclubs.
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Vancouver Maritime Museum
- Museum of Anthropology at UBC
- Vancouver Museum
- Science World at Telus World of Science
Vancouver is home to the
- BC Lions, Canadian Football League
- Vancouver Canucks, National Hockey League
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Major League Soccer
Long Beach (Pacific Rim National Park) and the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet are popular tourist areas. Tofino, a town of only a few thousand, hosts more than one million visitors each year. Many new resorts are being built in the area to accommodate surfers, beach lovers, storm watchers and golfers.
Whale watching is common along the coastal areas of British Columbia as is Pacific storm watching along the west coast of Vancouver Island during the winter months.
Wine tours are common in the
British Columbia is also a popular location for the production of many
Alberta
Alberta is a province in Canada's western prairies next to the Rocky Mountains. Its two major cities are Calgary and Edmonton, the province's capital. Edmonton is well known for West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping mall in North America, formerly the largest in the world. Edmonton is also known as Canada's festival city, with over 60 festivals happening year round. Edmonton is home to the area of Old Strathcona, a historical district with boutique shopping, music, arts, and many restaurants. Calgary is famous for the Calgary Stampede, the world's largest rodeo and one of the biggest open air events worldwide attracting up to 1.5 million visitors every year.
Another world-class attraction is the
Alberta is an important skiing destination for tourists. It has several world-class ski resorts. Canada Olympic Park, with its downhill ski and ski jumping facilities, is in the city of Calgary.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan offers two major cities, Regina and Saskatoon. Regina is home to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Academy at Depot Division where visitors can view the Sergeant Major's Parade held weekdays and the seasonal Sunset Retreat Ceremonies. Regina is also home to the RCMP Heritage Centre, which opened in May 2007. Saskatoon is home to the largest branch of the Western Development Museum, which houses important artifacts and recreations of the early settlement of the Canadian prairies.
The prairie province also has the most golf courses and water bodies per capita of any other province. Statistically the warmest summers with the most sunlight hours in Canada occur in Saskatoon. Natural attractions include
Saskatoon also has many famous attractions, such as the Remai Modern art museum on the river bank, and the city is also home to the Western Development Museum.
Manitoba
Manitoba is home to many lakes and rivers with over 14.5% of the land area covered by lakes. This offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, boating, and some of the finest beaches in North America, including Grand Beach, Victoria Beach and Winnipeg Beach. The province is a four-season travel destination offering cross-country and downhill skiing opportunities, as well as many miles of groomed ski-doo trails. Winnipeg, the province's capital, offers every season a world class skating trail. Using the Red River and the Assiniboine River, Winnipeg has created the world's longest skating trail since 2008, including the all-time record. Churchill on the Hudson Bay is a popular attraction due to the large polar bear and beluga whale populations.
As the capital city, Winnipeg, with a population of near 815,000, offers many cultural and artistic events, museums and year-round festivals. Brandon, Manitoba is a city of 56,000. Other cities with more than 10,000 people are Steinbach, Thompson, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk and Winkler. Winnipeg has one of the best architectural settings in Canada. Half of its downtown consists of high-rise buildings from 1880 to 1920. It also has the famous Exchange District, which is known as North America's best collection of architecture wonders. Setting from 1850 to 1920 the area of 56 square blocks has kept 95% of its historical buildings. Giving the tourist setting as they are walking in what Winnipeg looked like in 1920.
Sites of interest in Winnipeg
- Assiniboine Park and Zoo
- Canadian Museum for Human Rights
- Costume Museum of Canada
- Fort Gibraltar
- La Maison Gabrielle Roy
- Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum
- Dalnavert Museum
- Louis Riel statue near the Manitoba legislative building. See a figure of Manitoba's leadership.
- Manitoba Children's Museum
- Manitoba Museum
- Naval Museum of Manitoba
- Royal Canadian Mint
- The Exchange District
- Fire Fighters Museum
- Transcona Historical Museum
- The Forks
- Upper Fort Garry
- Western Canada Aviation Museum
- Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Winnipeg Railway Museum
Winnipeg is also home to:
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League
- Winnipeg Jets Of the National Hockey League
- American Association
- Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League
Other sites of interest in the province
- Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden
- Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon
- St. Andrews
- Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin
- Manitoba Amateur Radio Museumin Austin
- Manitoba Antique Automobile Museum in Elkhorn
- Marine Museum of Manitoba in Selkirk
- Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach
- New Iceland Heritage Museum in Gimli
- Oak Hammock Marsh in Stonewall
- The Pas
Festivals and events
- Winnipeg
- Folklorama held annually every August in Winnipeg. Folklorama is the world's largest multicultural festival. It is a 17-day festival held annually in August with close to 100 different cultural pavilions performing 3–4 shows per night.
- Jazz Winnipeg Festival
- Red River Exhibition held annually late June in Winnipeg
- Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival
- Winnipeg International Writers Festival
- Winnipeg Music Festival
- Winnipeg Folk Festival
Major parks of interest
Ontario
Ontario is the most populous and second largest province in Canada. Southern Ontario is home to the nation's capital, Ottawa, and Canada's largest city, Toronto, which is the provincial capital and one of the most multicultural cities in the world. The forests and numerous lakes of central Ontario and northern Ontario also provide popular hiking and camping destinations.
Sites of interest in Ottawa
- List of attractions in Ottawa
- ByWard Market
- Canada Agriculture Museum
- Canadian War Museum
- Canadian Aviation Museum
- Canadian Museum of Nature
- Canadian Museum of History
- Canadian Museum of Science and Technology
- Canadian Tire Centre
- Chateau Laurier
- National Art Gallery
- National War Memorial (Canada)
- Parliament Hill
- Rideau Canal
- TD Place Stadium
Sites of interest in Toronto
- List of attractions in Toronto
- Scotiabank Arena
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Bata Shoe Museum
- Casa Loma
- CN Tower
- Fort York
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- Kensington Market
- Little Canada
- Ontario Place
- Ontario Science Centre
- Queen Street West
- Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome)
- Royal Ontario Museum
- St. Lawrence Market
- Toronto Eaton Centre
- Toronto Islands
- Toronto Zoo
- See also: Hotels in Toronto
Other sites of interest in Ontario
- List of attractions in Hamilton, Ontario
- Algonquin Park
- Canada's Wonderland
- Ontario Tourist Routes
- Fallsview Indoor Water Park, an indoor park in Niagara Falls, Ontario
- Fort Henry
- Niagara Falls
- Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Marineland
- Muskoka Lakes
- Kingston's Old Town
- Pelee Island
- Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
- Science North and Dynamic Earth in Sudbury, Ontario
- Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Stratford Festival
- The Thousand Islands
- Upper Canada Village
Quebec
Sites of interest in Montreal
- Olympic Stadium
- Juste pour rire
- Old Montreal
- Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
- Opéra de Montréal
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
- McCord Museum
- Crescent Street
- St. Lawrence Boulevard
- Canadian Grand Prix
- McGill University
- Mount Royal
- Parc Jean-Drapeau
- Underground city, Montreal
- Biosphère
- Redpath Museum
- Canadian Centre for Architecture
- La Ronde
- Saint Joseph's Oratory
- Underground City
Sites of interest in Quebec City
- Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
- Musée de la civilisation
- Musée de l'Amérique française
- Espace Félix Leclerc
- Musée naval de Québec
- Choco-Musée Erico
- Musée des Ursulines de Québec
- Musée du Citadelle de Québec
- Musée de l'Abeille
- Plains of Abraham Exhibition Centre
- Parc Aquarium du Québec
- Jardin zoologique du Québec
- Château Frontenac
Sites of interest in Maritime Quebec
- Percé Rock
- Route Verte
- Cross of Gaspé
- Miguasha Provincial Park
Other sites of interest in Quebec
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is renowned for its sandy beaches especially along the Northumberland Strait, which in summer has the warmest water north of Virginia.
- The Bay of Fundy
- Saint John River
- Partridge Island
- Reversing Falls
- Market Square
- Saints Rest Beach
- New Brunswick Museum
- Saint John Jewish Historical Museum
- Prince William Street
Moncton, the province's largest city and recreational centre, has the following tourist attractions:
- Magnetic Hill Zoo
- Magnetic Hill
- Casino New Brunswick
- Magic Mountain
- Tidal bore, twice daily on Petitcodiac River
- Hopewell Rocks
- Cape Enrage
- Kouchibouguac National Park
- Fundy National Park
- New Brunswick Potato Museum
- Whale watching and the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island are also draws.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is the birthplace of Lucy Maud Montgomery's character, Anne of Green Gables, and a recreation of her literary home, Green Gables Farm, serves as a museum to the character. The island is also famous around the world for its potato farms and rich red sand beaches.
Other tourists attractions in Prince Edward Island include, among others:
- Victoria Row, a Victorian era street lined with restaurants, cafes and galleries, in the island's capital, Charlottetown[10]
- West Point Lighthouse, the first lighthouse built on the island, which also serves as a museum and hotel[11]
- Confederation Bridge, the longest bridge in the world crossing ice-covered water; spanning 12.9 kilometres (8.0 mi), the bridge connects the island to the rest of Canada[12]
Newfoundland and Labrador
The province's capital,
Just outside St. John's lies Cape Spear, the most eastern point in North America. From this point, London in the UK is closer than Vancouver.
Nova Scotia
Yukon Territory
With its history of the
Watson Lake Sign Post Forest makes its home in Watson Lake, Yukon Territory. It was first settled by a U.S. soldier who repaired road signs and added his home sign of Illinois. Now this is home to over 77,000 different road signs.
Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories attractions include:
- Aurora Borealis
- Northern Life Museum
- N.W.T. Mining Heritage Society
- Wood Buffalo National Park
- Tuktut Nogait National Park
- Nahanni National Park Reserve
- South Nahanni River
- Canol Heritage Trail
- Aulavik National Park
- Coppermine River
- Mackenzie River
Nunavut is probably the most expensive of all the tourist destinations in Canada. Attractions in Nunavut include:
- Auyuittuq National Park
- Quttinirpaaq National Park
- Sirmilik National Park
- Ukkusiksalik National Park
- Ovayok Territorial Park
Neighbouring countries
- Canada shares the world's longest undefended border with the United States.
- Marine borders are shared with both Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (a French overseas collectivity).
See also
- Visa policy of Canada
- Canadian Tourism Commission
- List of hotels in Canada
References
- ^ "Research - Tourism in Canada". Destination Canada. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "Travel and Tourism; Economic Impact 2013; Canada" (PDF). World Travel & Tourism Council. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2013.
- ^ "International Travel: Advance Information" (PDF). Statistics Canada. December 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-06-02.
- ^ "Canada – UNESCO World Heritage Convention". Unesco.org. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
- ^ "A Beautifyful Journey of Canada's most spectacular Rocky Mountains". Travelcupio.com. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Official Destination Website for Whistler BC – Tourism Whistler". Tourism Whistler. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Metro Vancouver – Home" (PDF). Gvrd.bc.ca. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
- ^ "Alberta museum earns 5 Guinness World Records with dinosaur skeleton collection - CBC News". CBC. 2021-11-05. Archived from the original on 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ Atwal, Sanj (2021-10-13). "Five record-breaking fossils you can find at the Royal Tyrrell Museum". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ "Victoria Row". Charlottetown Area Development Corporation. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ "West Point Lighthouse". Canadian Register of Historic Places. November 1, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ "Confederation Bridge". Strait Crossing Development Inc. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ "Louisbourg Institute Site". Retrieved February 21, 2020.