Page 19 - MENU Magazine - March/April 2018

Canada sets the table for Chinese tourists
They’re arriving in record numbers, and they’re hungry for unique culinary experiences
BY JILL HOLROYD
Anew generation of Chinese travellers is changing the game when it comes to interna- tional travel. They’re young, tech-savvy and independent-minded. They’re searching out unique and share-worthy travel experiences—including local cuisine. And their numbers are growing.
The trend started in 2010 when China granted Approved Destination Status to Canada. Since then, China has zoomed up the charts to become Canada's third-largest source of international visitors (behind the US and the UK) and the second-largest source of international visitor spending.
In 2016 alone, the number of visitors from China grew by 24 per cent to 610,000, injecting $1.5 billion into the Canadian economy according to Destination Canada, the federal tourism marketing body.
Millennials aged 20 – 34 years are a key group driving this trend. They’re now the largest cohort of Chinese visitors to Canada, accounting for 32 per cent of travellers. This connected, informed and a uent generation is shattering the stereotype of large groups of Chinese tourists following a ag-waving tour guide.
Many Chinese tourists still prefer the worry-free convenience and comfort of package tours, but a growing number of Chinese visitors to Canada are going their own way. The Beijing-based China Tourism Academy states that 60 per cent of outbound Chinese tourists travel independently and 40 per cent choose package tours.
While major attractions like Niagara Falls and the Rockies are still high on the agenda, a new generation of travellers is also looking for experiences o the beaten track.
Carat, a media agency based in Shanghai, divides China’s millennial travellers into three categories: Adventurous In uencers, Followers of Fashion and Culturally Curious. Each group is quite distinct, but
a common thread is their interest in local food and drink—good news for Canada’s restaurant and foodser- vice operators.
The potential is enormous: China is a country of 1.4 billion people. Its sheer size, combined with a growing middle class and positive economic climate, have creat- ed a growing appetite for overseas travel—and Canada is on the menu. Destination Canada reports that “more than 10 million Chinese long-haul pleasure travellers intend on visiting Canada in the next two years.”
Of course, converting intention to action is another story. But Canada has a recipe to attract this lucrative and growing market. More direct ights (with airlines accepting Chinese payment cards), new visa processing centres in several Chinese cities, plus some savvy tour- ism marketing on Chinese social media sites like Weibo have all contributed to putting Canada on the map as a travel destination.
Favourable exchange rates, and the fact that UnionPay, China’s most popular payment card, is now accepted at 90 per cent of ATMs across Canada, add to the appeal.
Canada’s other tourism advantage is the 1.7 million Canadians with Chinese ancestry. Mandarin and Cantonese are the most spoken languages in Cana- da after English and French, and nearly 50 per cent of visits by Chinese travellers to Canada are to see friends and relatives.
Whether they’re here for business, pleasure or
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