Manitoba Tourism Reaches Record High as 11.1 Million Visitors Drive $2.4 Billion in Spending

The tourism sector of Manitoba recorded a major achievement in the year 2025 when it registered an all-time high of 11.1 million visitors due to robust growth in visitor numbers from the United States, abroad, and the rest of Canada.

The surge was not limited to visitor numbers. Travellers spent a record $2.4 billion during their stays, demonstrating the growing economic importance of tourism to communities, businesses and workers throughout Manitoba.

According to the reported figures, tourism activity generated almost $450 million in provincial tax revenue, while supporting employment and businesses across the province. The results underline how visitor spending can flow beyond hotels and major attractions into restaurants, retailers, transport providers, outdoor operators, cultural organisations and small businesses.

International and US Visitors Deliver Powerful Growth

One of the strongest elements of Manitoba’s 2025 tourism performance was the rapid recovery and expansion of international travel.

International visitation increased by 52 per cent, representing the strongest percentage growth among the major visitor categories highlighted in the results.

Travel from the United States climbed by 50 per cent, providing another major boost to Manitoba’s tourism economy. The increase highlights the importance of the neighbouring US market and its potential to support continued tourism growth.

Domestic tourism also remained a critical part of the province’s performance. Visitor numbers from other parts of Canada increased by 15 per cent, showing that Manitoba continued to attract travellers from across the country even as international markets expanded rapidly.

Together, these gains helped lift total visitation to the record 11.1 million level.

Visitor Spending Climbs to Record $2.4 Billion

The financial impact of the tourism surge was substantial.

Visitors collectively spent $2.4 billion in Manitoba during 2025, setting a new record and demonstrating the broader value generated when travellers stay, eat, explore and purchase experiences within the province.

Tourism spending can reach numerous sectors of the economy. Accommodation providers benefit from overnight stays, while restaurants and cafés gain from food and beverage expenditure. Attractions, festivals, transport businesses, tour operators and retailers also participate in the visitor economy.

The province reported that tourism activity generated almost $450 million in provincial tax revenues, adding another dimension to the sector’s economic importance.

The results suggest Manitoba is increasingly turning its natural landscapes, cities, cultural attractions and seasonal experiences into measurable economic activity.

Manitoba Builds Tourism Around Nature, Culture and Cities

Manitoba’s tourism proposition stretches well beyond a single attraction or travel season.

Its parks, trails and lakes provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism, while cultural festivals and attractions add another layer to the visitor experience. Urban destinations complement these assets with entertainment, dining, events and cultural experiences.

This variety allows Manitoba to appeal to different types of travellers throughout the year.

Rather than depending entirely on peak summer demand, the province has increasingly focused on generating tourism activity across all four seasons. Such an approach can help tourism businesses reduce their dependence on a narrow travel window while encouraging visitors to discover different parts of Manitoba at different times of year.

Statistics Canada Data Provides a Clearer Picture

The visitor and expenditure figures were sourced from Statistics Canada, with an important change in data collection taking place during 2025.

In May 2025, exit interviews were reinstated in the international section of Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. The practice had been suspended following the pandemic.

The return of these interviews strengthened the collection of information connected with international travellers passing through Manitoba’s principal aviation gateway.

This is particularly relevant at a time when international visitation is expanding sharply. Better information about visitor volumes and expenditure can help tourism authorities understand changing travel patterns and identify markets with further growth potential.

Record Results Came Despite a Difficult Wildfire Season

Manitoba’s record annual tourism performance does not mean every part of the industry experienced an easy year.

Many tourism businesses and operators suffered significant disruption and financial losses during 2025 because of a record wildfire season.

The effects were particularly visible during the second quarter of the year.

Between 1 April and 30 June, both visitation and visitor expenditure declined. Wildfire conditions affected tourism operations and created challenges for businesses in impacted areas.

The downturn illustrates how exposed nature-based and regional tourism businesses can be to environmental disruption. Operators that depend on seasonal travel may have limited opportunities to recover revenue lost during a critical part of their operating calendar.

However, Manitoba recorded sufficiently strong growth during the remaining quarters to overcome the weaker period and finish 2025 with record annual visitor and expenditure totals.

Stronger Quarters Help Manitoba Overcome Spring Disruption

The contrast between the wildfire-affected quarter and Manitoba’s full-year results is significant.

Despite falling visitation and spending between April and June, growth during other periods was strong enough to push the province beyond previous annual records.

This points to a tourism economy with demand spread across different seasons and visitor markets.

Domestic Canadian travel remained important, while sharp increases from US and wider international markets created additional sources of demand.

A diversified visitor base can become increasingly valuable when unexpected events affect one market, destination or travel period.

Expanded Tourism Marketing Supports Growth

Tourism marketing also played an important role in Manitoba’s strategy.

Additional provincial investment provided through Budget 2025 allowed tourism promotion to expand in priority markets.

Marketing activity was strengthened across Canada and the United States, while partnerships and promotional efforts targeting international visitors were also increased.

The strategy focused on reaching travellers in markets with strong potential and matching promotional messages with relevant audiences and travel periods.

The substantial increases recorded from US and international visitors indicate that these markets became particularly important components of Manitoba’s tourism performance during the year.

Four-Season Tourism Becomes Central to Manitoba’s Strategy

A key element of Manitoba’s tourism direction has been the pursuit of growth throughout the calendar rather than concentrating activity within one peak period.

Four-season tourism can help destinations create a more stable visitor economy.

Summer travel can revolve around lakes, trails, parks and outdoor experiences. Other seasons can generate opportunities around cultural events, urban breaks, winter activities, food experiences and specialised tourism products.

Spreading visitor demand across the year can also give businesses a stronger foundation for maintaining employment and operations beyond traditional peak periods.

The 2025 figures demonstrate the potential value of that approach, particularly because strong performance outside the wildfire-affected quarter helped Manitoba achieve its record annual result.

Wildfire Resilience Becomes Part of Tourism Planning

The severe wildfire season also prompted greater attention to long-term tourism resilience.

Part of Manitoba’s increased tourism funding was directed towards the Wildfire Resilience Assistance Program, known as WRAP.

The initiative was developed to help eligible tourism operators strengthen protection around important infrastructure in areas exposed to wildfire threats.

Through the programme, operators were able to obtain heavily subsidised value protection kits designed to support property protection efforts.

The first 100 kits were delivered in spring 2026, creating an additional layer of preparedness ahead of another wildfire season.

Protection Kits Target Tourism Infrastructure

Each wildfire protection kit is compatible with Manitoba Wildfire Service standards and includes practical equipment that can be deployed around tourism properties.

The kits contain sprinklers, hoses and a water pump, providing operators with tools intended to help protect infrastructure when wildfire conditions threaten their properties.

Some of the kits delivered in spring 2026 have already been used during the current wildfire season.

For tourism operators in remote or nature-based destinations, protecting physical infrastructure can be critical. Damage to cabins, lodges, visitor facilities and other tourism assets can interrupt operations long after a wildfire itself has passed.

The programme therefore represents an effort to move beyond immediate recovery and build stronger preparedness into Manitoba’s tourism sector.

Tourism Growth Reaches Communities Across Manitoba

The significance of the 2025 figures extends beyond headline visitor numbers.

Tourism creates economic activity across a wide network of businesses and communities. A traveller visiting Manitoba may spend money on accommodation, restaurants, fuel, transport, shopping, attractions, recreation and entertainment during a single trip.

That expenditure can be particularly important in smaller communities where visitor demand supports independent businesses and seasonal employment.

With 11.1 million visitors, $2.4 billion in expenditure and almost $450 million in provincial tax revenue, tourism has emerged as a substantial contributor to Manitoba’s wider economy.

Manitoba Enters Its Next Tourism Growth Phase

Manitoba’s record-breaking 2025 performance provides the province with a strong foundation for further tourism development, but it also highlights the challenges that could shape future growth.

The sharp increases in international and US visitation show that Manitoba is attracting greater attention beyond its traditional domestic market. At the same time, the wildfire disruption demonstrates that tourism growth must increasingly be accompanied by resilience planning.

Marketing investment, international partnerships, four-season tourism development and wildfire preparedness are therefore becoming interconnected parts of the province’s tourism strategy.

For travellers, Manitoba offers a combination of natural landscapes, lakes, trails, cultural experiences, festivals and urban attractions. For local communities, the expanding visitor economy brings spending, employment and business opportunities.

The challenge now is to sustain that momentum while protecting the tourism assets and businesses on which future growth depends.

A Record Year With a Warning for the Future

Manitoba’s tourism story in 2025 was ultimately one of growth and resilience.

A record 11.1 million visitors generated $2.4 billion in spending, while international visitation jumped 52 per cent, US arrivals climbed 50 per cent, and visitation from elsewhere in Canada rose 15 per cent.

Those figures establish 2025 as a landmark year for the province’s visitor economy.

Yet the wildfire-related downturn between April and June shows that record annual performance can coexist with severe difficulties for individual destinations and operators.

Manitoba is consequently entering its next phase of tourism development with two priorities: attracting more visitors and making the industry better prepared for disruption.

If the province can continue expanding its domestic, US and international reach while strengthening tourism resilience, its record 2025 performance could become more than an exceptional year. It could serve as the foundation for a larger, more diversified and more resilient visitor economy across Manitoba.