China is keeping group tour restrictions on Canada. What will the impact be? – National | 24CA News
China’s latest resolution to maintain group tour journey restrictions on Canada because it loosens pandemic-era measures is a blow to Canadian tourism, trade teams say.
Last week, China ended COVID-19 restrictions on group excursions for an extra 78 international locations, together with the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and most European nations.
But Canada was notably absent from the accredited journey locations.
This can have a “continued impact” on the nation’s tourism income as a result of Chinese guests spend a very long time in Canada once they go to and spend about $1,300 a day, mentioned Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, in an interview with Global News.
“Prior to the pandemic, China was our fastest growing market of inbound visitation,” Potter mentioned, including that Chinese guests would yearly pump in about $2 billion into the nation.
“As our industry tries to get back to business as normal, this is just a protracted impact on our ability to do that.”
Before the journey restrictions had been imposed, greater than 708,000 Chinese vacationers got here to Canada in 2019, in response to information from Destination Canada, making Chinese vacationers the most important international spenders and second largest long-haul market.
There are not any restrictions on particular person Chinese travellers, however vacationers are nonetheless barred from organized group visits to Canada.
Without any group packages allowed, it makes it even more durable for solo travellers to pay a go to, mentioned Potter.
The continued restrictions are already impacting the Canadian tourism trade as a result of there aren’t as many flights as there beforehand had been, says one journey professional.
“It’s tough on the Canadian tourism industry because second to the U.S., China has the biggest spend here,” journey marketing consultant Claire Newell instructed Global News.
British Columbia is a giant vacationer vacation spot for Chinese guests coming to Canada.
Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, mentioned the Chinese market is “critical to Vancouver’s tourism economy” and referred to as Beijing’s resolution “disappointing.”
“It will have some impact for tourism for sure,” he mentioned in an interview with Global News.
“At the height of the Chinese market coming to Vancouver we had over 60 flights a week. We’re now down to only two carriers operating out of Vancouver, so in the immediate term there is an impact, it could have more of an impact over the longer term,” Chwin added.
Meanwhile, Alberta mentioned it was focusing its worldwide advertising efforts on different markets, just like the U.S., the U.Ok., France, Germany, and Japan.
“We are continuously monitoring travel trends and will adjust our strategy in response to shifts in the global landscape,” mentioned Tannis Gaffney, senior vp and chief advertising officer with Travel Alberta, in an emailed assertion.
Even so, the federal authorities says that by the tip of final yr, 93 per cent of tourism companies within the nation had been again at their 2019 ranges.
“The government will continue to work with the tourism industry, provincial and territorial counter parts, and Indigenous tourism partners to see the tourism industry thrive,” mentioned Farrah-Lilia Kerkadi, the press secretary of the tourism minister, in an emailed assertion to Global News.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa, when requested by Global News in regards to the reasoning behind leaving Canada off the checklist, mentioned: “Lately, The Canadian side has repeatedly hyped up the so-called ‘Chinese interference,’ and rampant and discriminatory anti-Asian acts and words are rising significantly in Canada.”
“The Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the safety and legitimate rights of overseas Chinese citizens and wishes they can travel in a safe and friendly environment,” the embassy’s press and public affairs workplace mentioned in an emailed response on Thursday.
This comes as relations between the 2 international locations have soured following experiences of allegations of Chinese interference in Canadian politics.
Global News and the Globe and Mail have reported on allegations of international interference from Beijing in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.
China has been step by step lifting restrictions on journey, and its announcement on August 10 marked the third batch of nations to be reinstated as accredited locations for group excursions.
The first batch, which included Thailand and Russia, was accredited in January. In March, 40 extra international locations had been added to the checklist, together with France and Brazil.
China has by no means defined its staggered method to approvals however analysts have famous that the international locations taking time to realize approval have had extra political and/or commerce pressure with the world’s second-largest financial system.
A authorities official talking on background mentioned Ottawa is constant to work in direction of getting the restrictions lifted, however didn’t provide a timeline.
“People-to-people ties are an important pillar in the Canada-China relationship,” mentioned Kerkadi.
“Tourism and cultural exchanges help promote greater mutual understanding and build lasting relationships.”
— With information from Global News’ Simon Little, Reuters and The Canadian Press
