Over the past week, the Canadian Canoe Museum welcomed an incredible 18 international visitors from 11 countries, reflecting a trend of increasing international interest in its world-class collection.
Between October 17th and 25th, these individual international visitors from countries including Australia, Germany, Mexico, Russia and India signed the guest book and longtime museum volunteer Bernice Standen took note. “We are fortunate to have the preeminent collection of paddled craft in the world,” says Mrs. Standen, a museum volunteer who, since 2004, has been working with visitor statistics.
Here is a visual representation in red dots of where their visitors come from...
In 2016, 25 percent of those who signed the museum’s guest book were international visitors—up from 14 percent in 2015.
Visitors to the museum come from all over the world, and last year the guest book documented those from more than 30 countries. Many international visitors explore the museum more than once.
Some comments from international visitors include the following...
“I learned new things about the world and of course Canada.” (EGYPT)
“Superbe musee!” (FRANCE)
“Fantastic presentations—well interpreted and engages all (even very old and very young). RIVALS the Smithsonian!!” (U.S.A.)
In 2016, the museum welcomed 27,267 visitors overall—an increase of close to 2.5 percent over the previous year. That increase built upon the attendance figures of 2015, which were 11 percent higher than in 2014.
Early projections indicate that the new museum, to be built beside the Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway, will welcome more than twice the number of visitors in its opening year alone.
“Our collection, and the museum as a whole, continues to attract national and international attention,” says General Manager Carolyn Hyslop.
“This, paired with the local excitement related to the new museum project and some of our newest programs, contributes to the incredible momentum we are experiencing right now."