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Number of Chinese visitors falls in the US and grows a lot in Canada

 

Every country wants to get some Chinese Tourism. After all, it is by far the most populous country, and from where more and more travelers have come and ventured around the world. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) figures show that according to the organization, since 2012 the consumption of Chinese tourists abroad has ranked first overall, reaching US $ 109.8 billion last year, when about 122 millions of Chinese have traveled out of the country, a 12% increase compared to 2015.

 

And one of the countries that has most benefited from this, especially in recent years, is Canada. According to the Skift website, only in 2016 were 610,000 Chinese in the country, 24% more than the previous year, making China its third largest tourist market, behind only the United Kingdom and the United States. If you consider ten years ago, the increase in Chinese visitors is impressive: they were “only” 160,000 in 2008; that is to say, from there until 2016, the increase was about 380%.

 

According to Skift, there are two main reasons for this growth in the country: the increase in connectivity and the growth in the number of millennials in China that are looking for adventure.

 

In terms of connectivity, it stands out the 26% increase in air capacity last year between the two countries, compared to 2015, with Canada now accessible from 11 entry cities in China, and its four largest metropolitan areas are served with nonstop flights from the eastern country. In addition, only in the first half of this year, China’s seating capacity for Canada increased by 36.9% over the same period of 2016.

 

Two recent routes help in numbers: since September 2015, Air China has been traveling between Beijing and Montreal three times a week, the first direct transpacific flight between the Canadian city and the Asian mainland. In addition, last year Hainan Airlines launched the Beijing-Calgary route, a city considered one of the gateways to Alberta, the Rocky Mountain region, a mountain range that stands out in the country’s Adventure Tourism for its forests, lakes and snow.

 

The millennials issue was addressed by Destination Canada’s director general for China, Derek Galpin, who highlighted the approximately 250 million Chinese millennials that exist today. “Young Asian millennials, aged 20-34, accounted for 40 percent of all mainland visitors in Canada in the last three years, first being that they are more flexible, willing to try to travel in alternate seasons, second they are looking for adventures and outdoor experiences, which is what else we have here, “explained Galpin.

 

The Canadian province of Alberta, for example, received around 85,000 Chinese visitors in 2015, making China the most-sending Asian tourist to the region’s mountains.

 

“Of all the new destinations that tourists in China are discovering, Canada is one of the most sought-after choices, and we expect growth of about 23% this year alone,” said Destination Canada Executive. “You can see from the launch of new direct flights as Tourism extends farther and farther beyond British Columbia and Ontario. Northern Canada is also becoming increasingly popular for experiences such as witnessing the magical boreal auroras, sled meetings and polar bear. ”

 

US loses Chinese

Unlike the neighbor, the United States has faced a decrease in the number of Chinese visitors. According to the country’s Commerce Department, from January to March this year there was a 0.5% decrease in Chinese arrivals compared to the same period in 2016; if we consider only March, the drop was 2.1%, compared with the same month last year. For Skift, two of the main reasons are President Donald Trump’s anti-China policy and travel bans and restrictions to the US.

 

It is worth remembering that, at the end of August, Air China even complained about the number of visas denied by the US to Chinese. US officials have not shared negative numbers, but the airline estimates that under Trump, 15% to 16% of potential travelers can not get approval, compared to 10% of the Obama administration.

 

Photo: Reproduction

Source: Panrotas

 

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