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Whistler could see a significant spike in the number of guests coming from China as a result of this week's announcement that China had granted Canada Approved Destination Status (ADS), a Tourism Whistler (TW) official said this week.
Canada has been seeking Approved Destination Status (ADS) from China for many years in the hopes of an increase in tourist-related visits from the world's most populous country. On Thursday (Dec. 3), during a visit by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to China, the Canadian and Chinese governments announced that ADS had been approved for Canada.
ADS allows Chinese travel agents to advertise and organize group tours to countries with that designation, and allows Canadian tourism officials to market their destinations within China. In 2008, some 159,000 Chinese nationals visited Canada, mostly on business and student visas. That number is expected to rise by about 50 per cent by 2015, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's office.
With ADS secured, the number of Chinese guests visiting B.C. is expected to increase about 25 per cent per year over the long term, said a statement issued by the office of B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.
Barrett Fisher, TW president and CEO, said given the huge potential of the Chinese tourism market, TW officials plan to make every effort to leverage the opportunity presented by the new status.
“The Chinese travel market is considerable and will only grow in importance as that country's economy grows and people's means and desire to travel increase," she said.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete with other countries and destinations to showcase all that Whistler offers to Chinese travellers, and to work strategically with our members and tourism industry partners to drive new business to our resort.”
While a significant step, ADS is not the end of the road. B.C. Chamber of Commerce officials pointed out that a bilateral air agreement allowing direct flights between China and Canada — known in the industry as an “open skies” agreement — would help boost the number of visitors from China even more.
“China has made an overture, promoting travel between our two countries,” said John Winter, president and CEO of the B.C. Chamber. “This seems like a logical next step. That additional fifty per cent is going to need better airport access.”
TW officials have made sales trips to China in the past, and TW are excited about prospects for increasing the number of Chinese guests — especially those on group tours — now that they have direct access to tour operators, Fisher said.
The granting of ADS isn't expected to boost visitations during the 2010 Winter Olympics. However, TW officials feel the profile offered by the Games — and the fact that China is an emerging winter sports power that will send a large contingent of athletes to compete here — presents a significant opportunity for Whistler.
“There is lots of work to be done, but we will continue to develop and execute sales and marketing strategies designed to take advantage of this emerging opportunity," Fisher said.
