Canadian Authorities Forecast Solid Growth for Local Travel Industry

Ottawa´s tourism industry is expected to see solid growth over the next two years, thanks to a bigger marketing budget and growing number of overseas travelers.

The Conference Board predicts the number of overnight visits will jump 4 per cent this year to 4.4 million and a further 3 per cent to 4.5 million in 2006. The new Canadian War Museum is emerging as a major tourist draw for 2005.

The Board notes the tourism year began with a highly successful wintertime travel season, which drew more than 800,000 visitors.

More aggressive marketing is paying off. The Board notes that the just-concluded Tulip Festival spent about $400,000 to attract visitors from Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. The new hotel tax is expected to raise around $5 million in tourism marketing funds, with campaigns targeting leisure travelers from Montreal and Toronto.

Leisure travel to Ottawa is expected to grow an average of 4.5 per cent over the next two years.

International travel to Ottawa continued to make solid gains. Visits by U.S. residents are expected to be up 4.2 per cent in 2005, while the number of overseas travelers should jump 5.3 per cent.