The joke is that while Canada is the second-largest country in the world, most tourists only ever visit a few small, well-known spots, so their “I’ve been to Canada” really means “I’ve been to one of like four cities.”
The vast rest of the country (which is huge) gets completely ignored.
Top Tourist Destinations in the Areas Shown
Western Canada (Vancouver–Calgary region)
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Stanley Park
- Granville Island
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Grouse Mountain
- Gastown
- Whistler, BC (just north of Vancouver)
- Whistler Blackcomb ski resort
- Peak 2 Peak Gondola
- Banff National Park & Lake Louise, Alberta
- Famous for turquoise lakes and the Rockies
- Moraine Lake, Banff Townsite, Icefields Parkway
- Calgary, Alberta
- Calgary Stampede
- Calgary Tower
- Proximity to the Rockies
Eastern Canada (Toronto–Montreal region)
- Toronto, Ontario
- CN Tower
- Royal Ontario Museum
- Ripley’s Aquarium
- Distillery District
- Day trips to Niagara Falls
- Ottawa, Ontario (Canada’s Capital)
- Parliament Hill
- Rideau Canal
- Montreal, Quebec
- Old Montreal
- Mount Royal
- Notre-Dame Basilica
- Festivals and food scene
- Quebec City, Quebec (a bit further east)
- Old Quebec (UNESCO site)
- Château Frontenac
And in all fairness, the map for all Canadians is not much better:
What’s your favourite bit or Canada?
Y.D. Robinson says
I would add Victoria, BC, to the map (just to the southwest of the Vancouver-Calgary corridor), as that attracts tourists for its British charm and mild climate (by Canadian standards; even less cold and snowy than Vancouver in the winter).
At a stretch, yet another small map could be included, one that covers Halifax, Cape Breton Island, the Bay of Fundy, and Prince Edward Island. While even Halifax (let alone the other Maritime Canadian cities) isn’t as big as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or Calgary, it is a substantial destination in its own right, and the other aforementioned Maritime destinations are scenic and/or charming each in their own way and are popular for those reasons.
John McGee says
You need an “Uluru” to make people travel further.