News
Canada wooing back the tourists
13 March 2006
Overseas visitors are bringing a serious boost to the Canadian tourism industry, new statistics have shown.
Although the country experienced a lull in visitor numbers in 2003 as it was struck by a barrage of internal disasters including forest fires, two outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Toronto and an energy blackout in Ontario (the biggest ever in North America) at the height of the summer season, tourists are beginning to return to the country.
Tourism officials have poured millions of dollars into promoting Canada's naturally stunning scenery such as the Niagara Falls and the wilderness of northern Ontario as well as the lively cities of Toronto and Seattle.
The investment appears to have more than paid off as figures from the Travel and Tourism International 2005 profile for Canada reveal that international air arrivals to the country's newly extended Pearson International Airport are on the up.
Randy Williams, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, told the Canadian Press that as well as an increase in visitors from Asia and Europe, tourists from the Far East were becoming increasingly attracted to Canada.
However, Mr Williams has warned that US tourists are likely to be deterred from visiting the country due to proposed new travel document requirements which American visitors will need to re-enter the US.
© Adfero Ltd
Although the country experienced a lull in visitor numbers in 2003 as it was struck by a barrage of internal disasters including forest fires, two outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Toronto and an energy blackout in Ontario (the biggest ever in North America) at the height of the summer season, tourists are beginning to return to the country.
Tourism officials have poured millions of dollars into promoting Canada's naturally stunning scenery such as the Niagara Falls and the wilderness of northern Ontario as well as the lively cities of Toronto and Seattle.
The investment appears to have more than paid off as figures from the Travel and Tourism International 2005 profile for Canada reveal that international air arrivals to the country's newly extended Pearson International Airport are on the up.
Randy Williams, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, told the Canadian Press that as well as an increase in visitors from Asia and Europe, tourists from the Far East were becoming increasingly attracted to Canada.
However, Mr Williams has warned that US tourists are likely to be deterred from visiting the country due to proposed new travel document requirements which American visitors will need to re-enter the US.
© Adfero Ltd
