Viva Vancouver! City on track to welcome record number of tourists

It seems that tourists just can't get enough of Vancouver.

After record numbers of visitors in 2014 and 2015, all things are pointing to another record year for tourists visiting the city, said Ty Speer, head of Tourism Vancouver.

"It's been a fantastic year," he said. "We're on a bit of a winning streak."

One reason for tourists coming to the city is the perception of safety.

"We are seen as a safe country, and we are seen as a safe and welcoming city. That's something we should all work very hard to protect."

That diverse, welcoming atmosphere was definitely part of last week's Pride Week celebrations, Speer said.

"We have a terrific inbound number of people who come here because of what we stand for."

Top origin countries

Speer said Vancouver received tourists from all over the world, while the top three origin countries of tourists coming into Vancouver are Canada, the United States and China.

"We get a lot of visitors from Canada," he said. "Canadians are certainly enjoying their country and they're coming to enjoy Vancouver. That's fantastic."

Numbers of tourists from the United States and China both increased by 16 per cent and 13 per cent respectively compared to last year, he said.

He also said the city is seeing growth in markets not typically seen before — like Mexico.

"Through our partners at YVR, we have flights [to and from Mexico] and now we have nearly twice as many people coming in from Mexico as last year."

With files from The Early Edition.