China hands Canada potential tourism windfall

China hands Canada potential tourism windfall
Last Updated Fri, 21 Jan 2005 17:51:19 EST
CBC News

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BEIJING - China has recognized Canada as an approved tourism destination C a move that is expected to result in a dramatic increase in the number of Chinese visitors to this country.

China has already granted that designation to dozens of other countries. Canada had been negotiating with the Chinese for more than five years for similar recognition. The agreement was announced during this week's visit to China by Prime Minister Paul Martin and other Canadian political and business figures.

Approved destination status allows Chinese residents to travel to Canada using a tourist exit visa. Without that status, only Chinese visitors travelling on business could obtain exit visas to Canada.

"China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and the recognition of Canada as an officially approved travel destination has significant economic potential for the Canadian tourism industry," Industry Minister David Emerson said in a statement from Beijing.

Official recognition means that Canada can now actively market Canada as a tourist destination in China. To that end, the Canadian Tourism Commission opened a new office in Beijing on Friday.

Last year, only 77,000 overnight visitors came to Canada from China. Published reports estimate that as many as a million Chinese tourists could now visit Canada, making approved status worth billions of dollars a year to Canada.

The Canadian Tourism Commission has been negotiating with China since 1999, trying to win approved destination status for Canada.

The World Tourism Organization forecasts that China will have 100 million outbound travellers a year by 2020, making it the fourth-largest source of outbound travel in the world.

Bilateral trade between China and Canada is worth more than $25 billion annually and both countries want to increase that. On Thursday, the two countries signed a spate of energy deals.

Tourism Commission vice-president Tom Penny speculated that the lengthy delay in getting the approved status designation may have had something to do with Canada's refusal to deport Lai Changxing.

The Chinese citizen fled to Canada in 1999 and is one of China's most-wanted fugitives C accused of running a multi-billion dollar smuggling ring.