UK sees record number of Canadian arrivals

New figures released by VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, show strong growth in visitor arrivals from Canada to the UK during the first nine months of 2019.

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From January to September 2019, there were 707,000 visits from Canada to the UK, up five on the same period in 2018. These are the second-highest January to September results, just behind the 2008 record of 712,000 visits.

Canadians spent a record £624 million across the UK from January to September 2019, up 19 per cent.

There were new records for holiday visits and spend for the first nine months of 2019, with visits up 18 per cent and spend up 25 per cent on the same period in 2018.

“2019 has seen consistently strong results for Canadian inbound tourism to the UK, demonstrating Britain’s continued ability to compete internationally for visitors in a fiercely competitive global environment, said EVP, Americas, VisitBritain's Gavin Landry. “Britain is a favourite destination for Canadians, and these strong numbers show how much Canadians enjoy exploring all that Britain has to offer. Canadians see value for money and it is a great time to visit the UK, particularly in the off-season, when your dollar goes further."

Since May 2019, Canadian citizens can use ePassport gates, giving easier and faster entry into the UK, boosting the country’s competitive tourism offer and its message of welcome.

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