It’s business as usual for Tourism Sun Peaks (TSP) in its Asian tourism markets despite rising tensions between the Canadian and Chinese governments. In January, both countries issued travel advisories for the other, citing the risk of “arbitrary detention.”
Colin Brost, director of market development for TSP, said the country has been an important destination in their marketing strategy, especially since 2010 when Canada received approved destination status from the Chinese government.
The designation made it easier for Chinese tourists to travel to Canada, relaxing previous visa restrictions.
Since then, Brost said, the industry has seen a lot of growth and China has become an important market for B.C. Chinese tourists makeup more entries into B.C. than any other country and in 2017, 335,000 Chinese visitors came to the province.
At Sun Peaks, Brost said, they visit both as a part of escorted tours as well as with their families for self guided trips in both summer and winter.
“It’s a very important market for us.”
As for an impact from politics? Brost said it’s too soon to tell.
“It’s too early to tell what potential or possible impacts will be,” he said. “We’re working closely with provincial and national tourism associations. The approved destination status still exists, there are still Chinese people travelling here and Canadians travelling there.”
He added it hasn’t changed any plans for marketing or trade trips to the country.
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