Travel to Canada by Chinese citizens will get a boost with the formal signing of the Approved Destination Status (ADS) agreement with China in June 2010. Canada will now be able to market directly to tour groups in China leading to an exciting new opportunity to grow tourism in the GTA through one of the world’s fastest growing outbound tourism markets. In 2008, visits to Canada by Chinese citizens were up 5.3 per cent from the year before, for a total of 159,000 visitors. Chinese travellers had the highest average length of stay (28 nights) in Canada and spent more than visitors from any other country ($1,648.51). According to a Conference Board of Canada survey, ADS is expected to increase the yearly rate of travel to Canada from China by up to 50 per cent by 2015. 

Resources

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has produced the Canadian Hospitality for Chinese Guests Guide - a comprehensive look at the impact that Chinese leisure travellers are expected to have including cultural characteristics and travel demographics.  Click here for the Guide