It turns out that only 15%of tourists that visit Manitoba are from outside of the province.

That’s according to the latest data from Statistics Canada, who says that Manitobans accounted for 85% of all tourists in the province, with visitors from other provinces coming in at 10%, American visitors at 4% and overseas visitors at just 1%.

Despite only accounting for 1% of all visitors, those from overseas accounted for $124M, or 8%, of all tourism revenue ($1.6B).

The announcement of Manitoba being named to the Lonely Planet’s list of best travel destinations in the world for 2019 was met with excitement from many people, including the Premier, though some travel experts are saying they can’t take credit for anything other than providing funding for tourism and economic development agencies.   

Thompson MLA Kelly Bindle told Arctic Radio News that there will soon be a “renewed tourism strategy” that will “form part of the new economic development plan to align the roles played by tourism organizations, enhance tourism attractions and experiences, and increase tourism visitation and spending”.