Lonely Planet names Canada as world's top travel destination for 2017

Next year, the country will celebrate its 150th birthday

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      One of the world's most influential travel companies has put Canada at the top of the charts for 2017.

      Lonely Planet ranked our country as its Number 1 travel destination for next year.

      In 2017, Canadians will celebrate their nation's 150th year.

      "Canada is always popular with us," Lonely Planet's Canada destination editor Alex Howard said in a news release, "but there's so much happening in 2017 that made it number one. It's the country's biggest birthday party in recent memory with the sesquicentennial next year, and they won't be shy about celebrating. Now is the time to start planning a trip." 

      Federal figures show that Canada attracted more than 14 million international visitors during the first eight months of 2016.

      Canada's westernmost province, British Columbia, was responsible for nearly four million of those international visitors. That was up 7.5 percent over the same period of 2015.

      The provincial government attributed this growth to increased airline access into Vancouver, a low Canadian dollar, and Destination B.C.'s marketing strategy.

      Check out Canada from coast to coast to coast.

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