Canada to court Chinese tourists with help from GHC Asia

CTC, Canada’s national tourism marketing organisation, has given GHC Asia a three-year contract to promote the country as a year-round travel destination for Chinese travellers.

Canada's next seasonal campaign, starting in October this year, will showcase itself as a premium destination to visit during the winter. As part of the 'Canada’s winter wonderland' campaign, a range of ‘fun in the snow’ packages will be created for Chinese group tours and independent travelers.

Among the "diverse and exhilarating" winter fun activities on offer are skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dog-sledding and sleigh rides, CTC says. Visitors can also take a trip to the Northern Lights and Niagara Falls, or participate in the annual Quebec Winter Carnival.

CTC works with the provincial and territorial governments of Canada and has now opened an office in China's capital city Beijing. GHC Asia, headquartered in Hong Kong, will utilise its relationships with travel magazine and guidebook editors, as well as other key tourism influencers like TV and radio media to help the CTC deliver destination brand messaging across the whole of mainland China.

PR activities to be carried out by the agency include general press releases, individual media visits, press trips on a regular basis, as well as ad-hoc road shows.

Almost 200,000 Chinese visited Canada in 2010, and the CTC is forecasting 25 per cent growth in tourist arrivals this year. As an added incentive, Chinese travellers can now apply for a 10-year multiple-entry visa to Canada. 

Last year China agreed to grant Canada an 'approved destination' status, which makes it easier for Chinese travellers to obtain tourist visas, and allows Canadian travel operators to promote themselves in China.