Which Canadian Provinces And Territories Are Most Visited By Canadians?

The Most Visited Provinces and Territories

Canada is the second largest country in the world by total land area. The country is divided into ten provinces and three territories. Canada has some vibrant and culturally rich cities along with incredible geographical features. Much of the country’s tourism activities are concentrated in the five largest metropolitan areas. The provincial parks and the nationals parks spread across the country are beautiful destinations for domestic tourism.

Ontario

Ontario is Canada’s most populous province accounting for almost 40% of the Canadian population. The province of Ontario hosts Ottawa and Toronto which are the country’s capital and the most populous cities respectively. Ontario is a popular destination for most of the Canadian and foreigners visiting Canada. The abundant natural resources include numerous lakes that provide a popular destination for nature lovers. Ontario is home to some of the major tourist attractions in Ottawa including Parliament Hill, National War Memorial, Air Canada Center, Niagara Falls, Ontario Tourist Routes, and Toronto Zoo among other sites. Ontario received over 126,000 Canadian visitors in 2012.

Quebec

Quebec is the second most populous province in Canada and the largest by total area. The natural resources are the mainstay of the province’s economy with other sectors such as IT and biotechnology also playing a significant role. Quebec is a major tourist attraction with Quebec City being a taste of the Old France in a new world. The city of Montreal is home to several tourist attractions which are common destinations for many Canadians. Quebec Province attracted 86,087 Canadian tourists in 2012 with the majority visiting sites such as Olympic Stadium, Underground City, Biosphere, and McCord Museum.

Alberta

Alberta has been a tourist destination since the early 20th century with several attractions including outdoor activities, nature reserves, and cultural sites. The festival city of Edmonton hosts over 60 festivals yearly with several Canadians taking part in the festivals. The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology which houses the largest collections of dinosaur fossils is a major tourist attraction in the province. Alberta also contains 5 of the 17 World Heritage Sites in Canada. The province is also an important skiing destination for tourists. Alberta's numerous attractions saw about 30,942 Canadian tourists in 2012.

British Columbia

British Columbia is a mountainous province in Canada home to beautiful mountain sceneries. The major tourist drawn in the country includes Alpine skiing with the province having over 30 large ski resorts. Whistler in British Columbia is consistently ranked as the best ski resort in the world. Vancouver is the province’s largest city. Some of the other major tourist sites in the province which attracted over 28,000 Canadians include Capilano Suspension Bridge, Stanley Park, Vancouver Museum, and Science World. The beautiful Vancouver Island is a one of the major tourist attractions in the province with millions of domestic and international tourists flocking to the island every year. Some of the activities tourists can enjoy on the island include whale watching and basking.