Travel brokers hope for return of ‘glory occasions’ as China resumes group excursions to Canada

Travel brokers are celebrating Beijing’s determination to renew group tourism to Canada after a five-year halt, hoping for the return of big-spending Chinese guests who have been a dominant presence for the trade earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Glynnis Chan, president of Vancouver-based Happy Times Travel and Tour Ltd., has been main group excursions for Chinese guests to the town because the mid-Nineteen Eighties.

She stated she anticipated an enormous enhance for the native economic system after Monday’s determination by China to renew group excursions that Chan stated “ground to a halt” in 2020 amid the pandemic.

Chan stated the vacationers she hosted would usually spend six weeks travelling Canada, estimating they’d spend greater than $1,300 a day, with Stanley Park in Vancouver, the Rocky Mountains and Parliament Hill in Ottawa on their sightseeing record.

“[Monday’s] news was like a shot in the arm to the local tourism industry, and I am ready to show them the beauty of the country,” stated Chan in an interview in Mandarin on Tuesday. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand stated in an announcement on Monday that the resumption of Chinese group tourism to Canada was “an important step in the recalibrated bilateral relationship.”

The transfer got here after Prime Minister Mark Carney met Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Friday, with Anand calling it a “turning point” within the relations between the 2 international locations.

Destination B.C. data reveals Chinese journey to the province within the 12 months to August is down 45 per cent in comparison with 2019, though numbers are already monitoring upward, by 24 per cent since final 12 months. 

Nationally, Chinese customer numbers are down 51 per cent since 2019, when there have been greater than 500,000 Chinese guests to Canada, in accordance with Destination B.C.

Chan stated Chinese vacationers usually choose to spend extra time in Canada than different vacationers as a way to perceive the nation as they contemplate immigration.

“For Chinese group tourists, my tour will focus on showing them Canadian natural wonders, and then we will do some city tours. It has been a fun experience to hang out with them,” stated Chan, recalling her pre-pandemic excursions.

While Chinese tourists are able to travel to Canada and elsewhere as individuals, tour group travel must be mandated by the national government.

China relaxed a group travel ban on most countries in 2023, but Canada was left off the list of more than 100 countries where it was allowed, amid heightened political tensions over allegations of Chinese foreign interference.

Chan said it was exciting to see Carney and Xi shake hands and resume relationships between the two countries. She said this would make it easier for travel agents to promote their businesses. 

Fellow travel agent Mabel Wu, who owns Next Vacation Ltd. in Richmond, B.C., said that in the “glory occasions” of Chinese tourism before the pandemic, groups would visit restaurants to order the most expensive seafood available.

“During these outdated days earlier than the pandemic, vacationers from the tour bus all the time requested eating places if they will get groupers, king crab and lobsters instantly as soon as they acquired off the bus. They did not even care concerning the value,” said Wu. 

Daniel Xu, executive director of the Elite Forward travel company in Toronto, said the prospect of Chinese tour groups returning was encouraging news, but there were still hurdles for some Chinese travellers visiting Canada. 

Xu said many tourists from China felt the visa application process took too long. 

“If there may be any manner for the Canadian authorities to hurry up its visa course of, then the variety of guests will decide up,” said Xu.

Xu also pointed to the number of flights operating from China to Canada, which he said had yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. 

He said he previously led groups of up to 30 Chinese travellers in Canada, with Banff National Park and Niagara Falls always on the go-to list.

“It’s nice information, and we are going to wait and see how issues unfold,” stated Xu.