International tourists continue to flock to British Columbia with over half a million more arriving in the province in 2016 compared to 2015.
The numbers released by the B.C. government on Wednesday show in the first 11 months of 2016 (January to November), 5,143,414 international visitors arrived in B.C., which is a 12.2 per cent increase over the same time frame in 2015. That translates into an increase of 546,632 visitors over 2015.
READ MORE: B.C. tourism numbers spike in first half of 2016
Comparing the numbers for November 2016 over the same month in 2015, the top three countries where tourists are coming from may come with a bit of a surprise.
The number of tourists coming to B.C. from Australia went up nearly 60 per cent, making for the biggest increase in tourist numbers. The other top three destinations included Mexico, with visits from that country going up nearly 35 per cent and France with a nearly 20 per cent increase.
The number of visitors from the United States grew by 12 per cent, and the number of tourists from China grew by four per cent. However, year-to-date figures for 2016 show an increase of 18.5 per cent (46,170 more visitors than in 2015) in visitors from China who came to the province during the first 11 months of 2016.
A growth of 8.4 per cent in travel from India over the same time frame is being attributed to the new direct flight from Vancouver to Delhi. The B.C. government says growing numbers of tourists coming from Australia and Mexico can also be attributed to improved air access.
READ MORE: Destination B.C.
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