BUSINESS

Tourism spending sees biggest rise since 2010: StatsCan

The Canadian Press Published Thursday, March 27, 2014 9:16AM EDT

Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar

In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a Moken boy, nomads of the sea, plays with a bamboo pole with a wooden wheel attached, on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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OTTAWA -- Statistics Canada says tourism spending in Canada rose one per cent in the fourth quarter, the largest gain in three and a half years.

The agency says the increase was mostly due to higher spending by Canadians travelling within the country.

Those Canadian travellers spent 1.2 per cent more in the fourth quarter, marking the largest gain since the first quarter of 2011.

Spending on most tourism goods and services was up in the fourth quarter.

The main contributors came from passenger air transport, which rose 1.8 per cent, and vehicle fuel, which was up two per cent.

Spending by international visitors in Canada edged up 0.3 per cent in the quarter, marking a fifth consecutive quarterly gain in spending by international visitors in Canada.