▁Over ▁ 1 0 . 3 mill ion ▁people ▁visited ▁V ancouver ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Ann ually , ▁tour ism ▁cont ributes ▁approximately ▁$ 4 . 8 b ill ion ▁to ▁the ▁Metro ▁V ancouver ▁economy ▁and ▁supports ▁over ▁ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁jobs . ▁Many ▁visit ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁city ' s ▁gard ens , ▁Stanley ▁Park , ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁Park , ▁Van D us en ▁Botan ical ▁Garden ▁and ▁the ▁mountains , ▁ocean , ▁forest ▁and ▁park lands ▁which ▁surr ound ▁the ▁city . ▁Each ▁year ▁over ▁a ▁million ▁people ▁pass ▁through ▁V ancouver ▁on ▁cru ise ▁ship ▁vac ations , ▁often ▁bound ▁for ▁Al aska . ▁ ▁V ancouver ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁str essed ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁spectrum ▁of ▁afford ability ▁of ▁housing ▁in ▁Canada . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁V ancouver ▁was ▁ranked ▁by ▁Dem ograph ia ▁as ▁the ▁second - most ▁una ff ord able ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁r ated ▁as ▁even ▁more ▁sever ely ▁una ff ord able ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁than ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁The ▁city ▁has ▁adopted ▁various ▁strateg ies ▁to ▁reduce ▁housing ▁costs , ▁including ▁co oper ative ▁housing , ▁legal ized ▁secondary ▁su ites , ▁increased ▁density ▁and ▁smart ▁growth . ▁As ▁of ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁average ▁two - level ▁home ▁in ▁V ancouver ▁sold ▁for ▁a ▁record ▁high ▁of ▁$ 9 8 7 , 5 0 0 ,