The government of China`s decision, announced in Beijing, to recognize Canada as an officially approved travel destination was welcomed by the group representing the interests of Canada`s 180,000 tourism businesses…
The government of China`s decision, announced in Beijing, to recognize Canada as an officially approved travel destination was welcomed by the group representing the interests of Canada`s 180,000 tourism businesses. The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) has been working with the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) to win this approval, which is expected to lead to significant growth in Canada`s $52 billion tourism industry.
We are looking at a doubling or tripling of the number of Chinese visitors to Canada in the short-term, said TIAC President and CEO Randy Williams. And we look forward to welcoming even more in the future. Approved destination status will be an important factor in setting the stage for sustained and significant growth.
The approved destination status (ADS) granted to Canada by the China National Tourism Administration will enable Canada to market its tourism products in China, and make it easier for Chinese tourists to travel to Canada as part of organized tour groups.
Mr. Williams is a member of the CTC`s China National Working Group, and his organization has been leading an initiative to determine tour operator criteria. Under ADS, tour groups must be organized by a travel agency that has been qualified and authorized to organize outbound trips, and the Chinese tourist group must be received by a qualified and authorized travel agency of the destination country.
Canada welcomed over 98,000 visitors from China in the first 11 months of 2004, up almost 39% over the January-November 2003 figure of just over 77,000, which was affected by SARS. Travel to Canada from China has grown by an average of 1.4% a year since 2000.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
