OTTAWA, ON October 25, 2016 – TIAC is very pleased to see today that Canada has been recognized as the place to visit in 2017. Lonely Planet has released their much-anticipated Best in Travel 2017 series, naming Canada as the #1 place to visit in the world.

In 2017 Canada will be celebrating its 150^th birthday with celebrations, activities and special events throughout the country. This, along with our country’s pristine wilderness, wildlife encounters, pulse-raising adventures, vibrant cities, rich culture and great food has placed Canada as the top destination to explore. So far this year Canada has welcomed over 14 million international visitors, numbers that are expected to be surpassed even more next year due to sesquicentennial celebrations.

Canada was able to make it onto this highly anticipated list by inviting the world to come #ExploreCanada through Destination Canada’s international marketing efforts. Marketing campaigns are essential to attracting global visitors, who contribute millions of export dollars to the Canadian economy each year.

“Recognitions such as these are the result of not only Canada’s natural beauty and vibrant tourism businesses, but also the fantastic marketing efforts of Destination Canada,” states Charlotte Bell, TIAC President and CEO, “a well-funded national marketing agency is key to continuing tourism recognition such as today’s announcement by Lonely Planet, and bolstering international visitor growth.”

“We urge the federal government to continue to support Destination Canada through dedicated funding in the upcoming budget” Ms. Bell continues.

Lonely Planet’s recognition of Canada as the best destination to visit in 2017 adds to the buzz surrounding Canada’s 150^th birthday year. TIAC views this as a great opportunity to showcase our country’s unique and diverse range of destinations and experiences. We encourage our members and stakeholders to use this new designation to their advantage through their marketing, advertising and social media efforts.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel collection is an annual list of the world’s biggest trends, destinations and experiences in travel. Chosen with specific criteria in mind, the destinations are selected by Lonely Planet’s experts who spend time traveling from one destination to another in search of the best experiences available. The experts include all forms of travelers from writers and editors to bloggers and tweeters.

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For more information please contact:

Rob Taylor
Vice President, Public and Industry Affairs
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
rtaylor@tiac.travel 
t: 613-238-6251 
c: 613-716-5442