Ottawa, August 24, 2010 — The Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), today marked the end of the first official visit by Chinese tour groups under Canada’s Approved Destination Status (ADS) with China. The tour groups were joined by officials from the Chinese National Tourism Administration during a seven-day tour.
“Our government was extremely appreciative of the great interest shown by the Chinese visitors in coming to Canada and of the role played by the Chinese National Tourism Administration in facilitating the tours,” said Minister of State Moore. “This is just the beginning of a very important relationship between our two nations. We certainly hope that our guests’ experience was enjoyable, and we encourage them to return soon.”
In June 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the ADS, which allows Canada to market directly to Chinese consumers and permits group travel from China. This designation will result in more people travelling from China to Canada and will have a positive impact on the Canadian economy. It is estimated that Chinese tourist visits to Canada will increase by up to 50 percent over the next five years, providing an incredible boost to our tourism industry.
In tourism roundtable meetings held this week in Banff and Edmonton, Minister of State Moore underlined the importance of the arrival of these first official tour groups from China.
“In speaking at these roundtables, I was able to explain how ADS gives Canadian tourism operators access to a huge market that views Canada positively,” he said. “ADS presents a great opportunity for us to promote Canada as an international destination of choice, helping our tourism industry to grow and create jobs.”
He also reaffirmed that he plans to lead a tourism mission to China this fall with his provincial and territorial tourism counterparts.
“I am looking forward to joining my counterparts from the provinces and territories to visit China and promote Canadian tourism,” said Minister of State Moore. “This will provide us with an excellent opportunity to learn more about how to improve our tourism offerings for the Chinese market.”
For further information (media only), please contact:
Sean Phelan
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism)
613-797-7965
Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502
