Australian visitor numbers to Canada increased once again in 2011, with Australia continuing to sit pretty in the destination’s top five international markets.
Canada welcomed 221,259 Australians between January and November, an increase of 5.1% on the same period in 2010. Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) spokeswoman Donna Campbell said the growth exceeded that seen in 2010, driven by the strong dollar, incentives and the Aussie yen for travel.
Non-ski winter white Christmas holidays and Quebec grew in popularity with the Australian market which showed a growing tendency to travel further afield from traditional holiday spots.
CTC’s focus for the next year will be promoting its new Signature Experiences campaign, designed to “highlight unique Canadian experiences abroad”. There are currently 115 Signature Experiences, with the number expected to grow as companies continue to apply for scheme accreditation.
Meanwhile, Lynda Gunter, owner of Canadian adventure travel specialist Frontiers North Adventures, told Travel Today that Australians were “now leading the way” as its former number one, the UK, dipped due to economic strife.
The US, once its largest market, now accounted for only 45% of bookings, down from highs of 85% in 1999.
