Tourism continues to play a big role in BC’s economy and the province remains a favourite with foreign tourists.
The Ministry of Tourism says the number of international visitors to BC climbed nearly 8% last year to 4.9 million. The rise translates to an increase of nearly 360,000 more tourists from overseas and across the border than came to the province in 2014.
Brenda Baptiste, chair and CEO of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC says First Nations tourist attractions are a big draw for foreigners.
“We’ve got visitors that come from all over the world to come and experience aboriginal culture, to hear the stories.”
Baptiste says 2015 was a great year for her industry and 2016 will see further growth.
“The revenue for aboriginal tourism in 2015 was about $50 million and we expect to increase that by an additional 10% this year as well.”
While international visitors remain a priority, Baptiste says the soft Canadian dollar means focusing on more local tourism as well.
“This year, we’re actually going to join the province in terms of their push for Canadians to explore Canada and certainly BC, to just go out and explore the offerings that we have here.”
Baptiste says her organization aims to contribute to cultural preservation and economic development for First Nations communities across the province, while strengthening the industry as a whole.
According to the Ministry, tourism employs approximately 127,000 people at more than 19,000 businesses.