Canada has been named the best country to visit in 2017 by Travel+Leisure.

Canada rang in its 150th birthday in 2017 and celebrations took place across the country.

Canada’s natural beauty and new innovative programs in A.I. and biotechnology also contributed to the decision.

Canada has been named “Destination of the Year 2017” by Travel+Leisure.

To select this year’s winner, Travel+Leisure considered various factors including the number of tourists and holidaymakers coming into the country, travel trends for the year according to some of the world’s leading travel agents, and exciting and cultural relevant things happening within the country.

The American news site – which specialises in travel tips, trends, and tip-offs – said in its reveal, “as we watched our own country grow more and more divided, Canada suddenly seemed to come into its own.”

The country was chosen thanks to its incredible array of natural sites including Banff’s glacial lakes and Churchill’s polar bears. The review also praised the country’s growing reputation in tech, with more and more Artifical Intelligence, biotechnology, and climate change-fighting companies starting up in Canada.

Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations, which have been ongoing throughout 2017, meant that the country’s major cities and districts were filled with Canada-centric art, murals, concerts, and fairs – adding to the general buzz of excitement and helped to showcase the very best of Canadian culture.

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Foto: Events, exhibitions, and fairs have taken place across the country all year to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. source Unsplash/Scott Webb

To celebrate the country’s big birthday, national parks across Canada offered free admission all year long, making 2017 the perfect time to visit the North American nation and experience the towering mountain ranges, expansive lakes, and breathtaking landscapes in person.

Looking forward to Canada’s future as a holidaymaker hotspot, Travel+Leisure outlined the ways in which the country is looking to make itself more accessible and easy to traverse for locals and tourists alike including a brand-new Arctic highway, a light-rail system in Montreal, and research into the possibility of a new high-speed rail link between Vancouver and Seattle.

For the judges, “all signs pointed north” and Canada was the clear winner.

Foto: Stunning natural sites across Canada’s national parks, including this swirling waterfall in Ball’s Falls, have been open to the public for free. source Unsplash/Kaleb Dortono