Vancouver will see the biggest growth in overnight tourist visits this year, according to a new outlook report that predicts a strong overall year for tourism in Canada.
A favourable exchange rate coupled with low gas prices are expected to drive up domestic tourism as well as attract more visits from the U.S. and overseas compared to the year previous, predicts the Conference Board of Canada's Canadian Tourism Research Institute.
Overnight visits to Canada from the U.S. and overseas are expected to spike by 5.1 and 5.2 per cent respectively in 2016, while domestic tourism is projected to increase 2 per cent.
The report also offers a detailed forecast on tourism stats for nine major Canadian cities and predicts that Vancouver will enjoy the biggest boost in visits this year at 4 per cent compared to last year, followed by Montreal (3.4 per cent) and Toronto (3.3 per cent).
