Rendez-vous Canada (RVC), Canada’s signature international tourism marketplace where the international travel trade connect with Canada’s tourism industry partners, will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia this May. This annual event rotates across Canada and provides 1,800+ international tourism industry leaders an opportunity to meet one-on-one at the marketplace. Collaboration is quick, yet efficient, with pre-scheduled appointments by mutual request of both the buyer and seller. The end result is focused engagement around the best of the best of Canada’s tourism experiences.
RVC will be held from May 13 – 16, 2018 at the Halifax Convention Centre. As the cultural and historical capital of Atlantic Canada, Halifax deftly blends the past with the present to produce a skyline dotted with elegant 18th- and 19th-century architecture alongside ultra-modern towers of glass and steel.
Nova Scotia’s tourism industry had its best year in history last year and its fourth consecutive year of growth. In all, a record 2.4 million visitors came to the province in 2017 and tourism revenue is estimated at $2.7 billion.
For comparison, 2017 saw about 195,000 more visitors than 2016 – an increase of nine per cent. Tourism revenue increased by over $100 million – seven per cent more than the year before. 2017 highlights include:
- Highest visitation growth came from Ontario, up 16 per cent, or 84,000 more visitors, compared to 2016
- Visitation from Western Canada was up 19 per cent, or 32,000 more visitors
- Visitation by air, which on average brings higher-spending travellers, rose by 13 per cent
- Visitation by road increased seven per cent
- Licensed room nights sold in 2017 increased by two per cent to 2.8 million.
“There were a lot of factors that made 2017 a strong year for tourism, but these results are not by chance. Our industry is working hard, and we’re working collaboratively to create effective marketing campaigns and compelling experiences that will inspire people to choose Nova Scotia,” said Michele Saran, CEO, Tourism Nova Scotia.
Twelve new travel experiences were developed by tourism operators in 2017 through Tourism Nova Scotia’s World-class Experience EXCELLerator Program.