The 56th annual Abbotsford International Airshow takes to the sky from Aug. 10 to 12, 2018, and is set to provide a boost to local tourism in the Abbotsford area.

“More than 70,000 people attended last year’s Abbotsford International Airshow, making it an extremely important weekend for local businesses,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “We are supporting this year’s show by providing important funding toward promotion, which will help draw visitors and raise the profile of B.C. as a world-class destination.”

The Province provided the Abbotsford International Airshow Society with $60,000 to support this year’s event. Air show organizers estimate that this year’s event will generate an economic benefit of $3 million to the community.

“The success of the Abbotsford International Airshow relies on the hard work of our hundreds of volunteers and the support of our sponsors, including the Province of B.C.” said Jim Reith, president of Abbotsford International Airshow Society. “This support has helped us pull together one of the premier air shows in North America, and I know visitors will be thrilled with this year’s event.”

Featured performers this year include two of North America’s most popular air demonstration squadrons: the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The Blue Angels are appearing in Abbotsford for the first time in 15 years.

Provincial government funding through the Tourism Events Program supports events that raise awareness of B.C.’s tourism experiences. It inspires people from around the world to visit the province. These events also generate tourism and economic activities in regions throughout British Columbia.

Quick Facts:

• Tourism is an important economic driver for B.C., generating more than $17 billion in revenues in 2016.
• Tourism is one of the province’s biggest employers. More than 133,000 people work in this industry.
• Tourism is growing in importance for B.C’s economy. In 2016, the industry contributed $7.9 billion in added value to the province’s gross domestic product. This is an increase of over 5.6% over the previous year.
• The Government of British Columbia invests over $123 million in the tourism sector annually.
• In 2017, 5.7 million international visitors came to B.C. — a 3.3% increase (181,700 more visitors) over 2016.

Learn More:

To learn more about these local events, and for ticket information, visit the event website: https://www.abbotsfordairshow.com/

For more information on the Tourism Events Program, visit: http://ow.ly/kL1Y309KOWo