SEE CANADA FIRST Travel to and within Canada on the rise
SEE CANADA FIRST Travel to and within Canada on the rise
While economic growth has been sluggish this year, low gas prices and a weak Canadian dollar have helped boost travel to and within Canada. Overnight visits are on track to expand by three percent this year and next, according to The Conference Board of Canada's latest Travel Markets Outlook for both national and metropolitan cities.
"The tourism sector is one of the handful benefiting from the low Canadian dollar. We're seeing increased levels of both US and international visitors that are nothing short of tremendous and restore much of the travel volume lost during the past decade," said Greg Hermus, Associate Director for the Conference Board of Canada's Canadian Tourism Research Institute.
On top of the nearly 10 percent growth last year, overnight visits from the US are expected to increase a further 7.8 percent this year. Beyond the low Canadian dollar and gasoline prices, Canada is known as a safe travel destination which is inevitably resonating with American travellers as many other competing destinations struggle with safety concerns. Similarly, overseas arrivals to Canada saw an increase of 8.7 percent this year, but are expected to cool slightly in 2017 to an estimated 6.4 percent.
Growing consumer confidence, increases in disposable income and a few major events, in particular the 150th anniversary of Confederation and Montréal's 375th anniversary, will see domestic pleasure travel increase by an estimated 3.2 percent in 2017.
Travel prices are forecasted to continue ramping up slowly with increases ranging between 2.1 and 2.3 percent between 2017 and 2020. While travellers were hit with a 3.7 percent increase for accommodations in 2016, a more moderate annual increase at a pace between 2 and 3 percent is expected across the forecast horizon. Travellers can also expect to spend between 2.1 and 2.4 percent more for food and beverage services.
Regional Highlights
Of the nine Canadian cities covered in the Travel Markets Outlook's Metropolitan Focus, most can count on tourism growth between 2 and 5 percent next year.
With business and consumer confidence still suppressed in Alberta and low energy prices affecting local and provincial economies, tourism activity in the province is slated for only modest gains next year. Meanwhile, Ottawa-Gatineau is expected to experience the strongest growth in domestic pleasure travel with an increase of 6.4 percent in 2017 as travellers flock to the capital city to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
Halifax
Domestic overnight visits to the city are projected to increase by 2.8 percent before the end of the year, while overall visits to the city should grow by 3.8 percent. The King's Wharf waterfront project is scheduled for completion in spring 2017 and should attract both business and pleasure travel to Halifax, with overnight visits set to grow 3.1 percent in 2017.
Montréal
The renewal of hotel space and major sports events have contributed to a strong year for pleasure travel in Montréal. The city will experience a 4.3 percent increase in overnight visits in 2016. As Montréal celebrates its 375th anniversary in 2017, a further increase of 5 percent is projected for overnight visits.
Québec City
Overnight visits to Québec City are expected to grow by 3.7 percent in 2016, with pleasure travel receiving a boost from the recently completed Videotron Centre, a multi-use indoor arena. Visits from the US to the city are expected to grow by 8.9 percent this year amidst low gas prices and a favourable exchange rate.
Ottawa-Gatineau
With sporting events such as the Canadian men's curling championship and strong gains from international markets, overall visits to the city are estimated to increase by 3.4 percent in 2016. Celebration for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017 will see overnight visits to the nation's capital grow considerably. Other major events, such as the 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup and the 105th Grey Cup will also lend a hand in the projected 6.4 percent increase in domestic pleasure travel next year.
Toronto
Strong convention activity will lead to growth in business travel to Canada's largest city this year. In 2017, pleasure travel is projected to increase by 3.5 percent, boosted by Toronto hosting Prince Harry and his Invictus Games and the NHL Centennial Classic Game.
Winnipeg
Business travel is set to grow 3.6 percent in 2016, receiving a boost from the recently completed RBC convention centre. In 2017, a 3.3 percent increase for overall overnight visits is expected as the city hosts the Canada Games and opens a new outlet mall.
Calgary
Attendance at the Calgary Stampede was at a 22-year low in 2016. The outlook is much brighter for 2017 with pleasure travel expected to see a boost as a result of the recently opened National Music Centre and the Calgary Film Centre. Overnight visits to the city should expand by 2.5 percent in the new year.
Edmonton
With the continuing weakness of the energy sector, local tourism activity suffered this year. While overnight visits to the city are projected to decline 1.7 percent in 2016, strong growth from the US and overseas markets should help contribute to an increase of 2 percent in overall overnight visits next year.
Vancouver
Vancouver will see a 6 percent increase in tourism activity in 2016. Next year, the city will benefit from hosting a number of large sporting events, such as the NCAA basketball tournament and the Canada Sevens rugby tournament. Overall, overnight visits are projected to increase 4.1 percent in 2017.
You will visit the following 6 places:
Halifax
Halifax, legally known as the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a major economic centre in Atlantic Canada with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies. Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defence, Dalhousie University,Saint Mary's University, the Halifax Shipyard, various levels of government, and the Port of Halifax. Agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality. Halifax was ranked as the fourth best place to live in Canada for 2012, placed first on a list of "large cities by quality of life" and placed second in a list of "large cities of the future''. Additionally, Halifax has consistently placed in the top 10 for business friendliness of North and South American cities. Waterfront warehouses known as the Historic Properties recall Halifax’s days as a trading hub for privateers, notably during the War of 1812.
Toronto
Toronto, a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, television production, is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums, festivals and public events, entertainment districts, national historic sites, and sports activities, are key attractions to the over 25 million tourists that visit the city every year. Toronto is well known for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, the CN Tower. As Canada's commercial capital, the city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, business services, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism. Toronto is placed among the Global Leaders in the Global Financial Centres Index, and is also consistently rated as one of the world's most liveable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, about 80 km (50 mi) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. In the 2011 census, the City of Calgary had a population of 1,096,833 and a metropolitan population of 1,214,839, making it the largest city in Alberta, and the third-largest municipality and fifth-largest census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada. The economy of Calgary includes activity in the energy, financial services, film and television, transportation and logistics, technology, manufacturing, aerospace, health and wellness, retail, and tourism sectors. The Calgary CMA is home to the second-highest number of corporate head offices in Canada among the country's 800 largest corporations.
Montreal
Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec and the second-largest city in Canada. Originally called Ville-Marie, or City of Mary, the city takes its present name from Mont Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the city is located, or Mont Real as it was spelled in Middle French, Mont Royal in present french.
Quebec
Canada's second most populous province, Quebec is also the only one to have a predominantly French-speaking population, with French as the sole provincial official language. Its historic capital, Québec City, celebrates one of the world's most brutal winters with a carnival that features parades of majorettes and teams who race boats across an ice-choked river. Quebec is unique among North American tourist destinations. Its French heritage does not only set the province apart from most of its English speaking neighbors, it is also one of the few historical areas in North America to have fully preserved its Francophone culture. Its European feel and its history, culture and warmth have made Quebec a favourite tourist destination both nationally and internationally.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, Canada. Edmonton's historic growth has been facilitated through the absorption of five adjacent urban municipalities (Strathcona, North Edmonton, West Edmonton, Beverly and Jasper Place) and a series of annexations ending in 1982. The city serves as the northern anchor of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Known as the "Gateway to the North", the city is a staging point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta and large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories. Edmonton is a cultural, governmental and educational centre. It hosts a year-round slate of festivals, reflected in the nickname "Canada's Festival City". It is home to North America's largest mall, West Edmonton Mall (the world's largest mall from 1981 until 2004), and Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum.
