Canadian tourism boosted with arrival of first Chinese leisure tourists

The first ever Chinese leisure travellers arrived in Canada this week, the beneficiaries of China granting approved destination status to Canada in late June.

Canadian Visa

The first Chinese leisure tourists have arrived in the country but more innovation over the coming decade is needed to attract tourists.

According to the Canadian Tourism Commission, there will be as many as 350 people on tours organised by 13 Chinese tour companies arriving this week.

The Canadian Tourism Commission is hosting an official kickoff event to welcome the group in Vancouver today, before the travellers split into groups to complete trips to destinations in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

The approved destination status means that Canadian tourism businesses can actively market Canadian in China, and Chinese tour operators can also organize, promote and advertise group travel packages to the country.

While the number of initial tourists is quite small, there is a large potential for growth the World Tourism Organization estimates China could have 100 million international travellers by 2020.

Tourism experts believe that to take full advantage of the increase in Chinese tourists over the coming years Canada has to keep working on a number of infrastructure issues.

These issues include dealing with the different Internet booking system in China, improving air access to Canada and adding new Canadian Visa application offices: currently there is only one in Beijing.

The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people apply for Canadian immigration to the Canadian Embassy.