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.“I want to congratulate the industry on an amazing year,” said Geoff MacLellan, Minister of Business. “A strong tourism industry is important to Nova Scotia’s economy. The more visitors we welcome, the more we expose the world to our province and all it has to offer. “This leads to more business opportunities and jobs for Nova Scotians, more restaurants and shops, and more vibrant communities for all of us to enjoy.” 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,” said Tourism Nova Scotia CEO Michele Saran. “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.” Twelve new travel experiences were developed by tourism operators in 2017 through Tourism Nova Scotia’s World-class Experience EXCELLerator Program. These experiences are now available to buy in 2018.For a complete breakdown of results visit: https://tourismns.ca/research/visitor-statistics/tourism-performance .Source: Release