Prince George is riding on the wave of increased tourism to B.C.
The number of people staying in Prince George hotels increased 5.7 per cent in January, compared with January, 2010.
Across the province, the number of international overnight visitors was up 4.6 per cent.
"This year is starting on a positive trend," Tourism Prince George CEO Aidan Kelly said. "We're off to a better start then 2010."
Hotel stay numbers aren't available for February yet, Kelly said, but it appears the city will continue to see growth in tourists.
B.C. Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell said the province has seen international overnight visits from the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific increase for eight months.
"More tourists coming to B.C. means more jobs for B.C. families and more revenue from this important sector that we can invest in critical services including education and health," Bell said in a press release.
"The fact that more travellers arrived here this January than in January 2010 - when numbers were bolstered by an influx of media, athletes and other visitors preparing for the Winter Games - testifies to the strength and resilience of this sector, which provides one in 14 jobs in British Columbia."
Figures released by Statistics Canada on March 17 show a rise in U.S. overnight visits of 3.2 per cent, despite the high Canadian dollar and struggling U.S. economy.
The increase to British Columbia was more than double the 1.4 per cent increase for all of Canada, and U.S. visitors accounted for 62.6 per cent of all overnight international visitors to B.C.
Visitors from Asia-Pacific countries increased by 11 per cent overall - including Australia, which climbed by 22.6 per cent.
The number of visitors from China rose 22.8 per cent, from Hong Kong by 52.6 per cent, and from South Korea by 7.8 per cent.
"This is the fourth straight month of increases in overnight visits from the U.S., and the ninth increase in a row from China, where we are working to build on our approved destination status," Bell stated in the release.
A total of 185,591 international overnight visitors entered B.C. in January, compared with 177,378 in January 2010.
The Statistics Canada numbers are based on international visitors who cross through Canada Customs into British Columbia. Actual numbers of visitors to B.C. are higher, as people coming from elsewhere in Canada are not included.
