BC taps Spring Festival tourism market

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Destination British Columbia recently held a news conference in Beijing to promote their "One Thousand Chinese Celebrating Chinese New Year in Vancouver BC" initiative. Tourism bureau executives from BC — the westernmost province of Canada — shared the project's diverse itineraries and talked about British Columbia’s appeal as a winter tourist destination.

During Spring Festival, more than 1,000 Chinese tourists will be able to take advantage of specially tailored one- and two-week tours of the Canadian province, taking in British Columbia's natural beauty, delicious food and blend of Chinese and Western cultures, organized by BC's partner travel agencies.

In 2016, more than 610,000 Chinese tourists visited Canada, an increase of 24 percent from the previous year, recent data shows. Also, more Chinese people have been choosing to celebrate Spring Festival with family members abroad in recent years.

According to Maria Greene, director of global marketing partnerships, the initiative aims to satisfy the increasing demand from Chinese tourists looking to spend Chinese New Year abroad. Since 2018 will be the Canada-China Year of Tourism, the Destination British Columbia wants to offer more customized and diverse travel experiences.

As part of the initiative, tourists will be able watch the Chinese New Year parade, traditional Chinese lion dances and a temple fair in Vancouver. At the Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, they will be able to watch live shows and enjoy the countdown night celebrations for Spring Festival. They will also be able to join a tour of local wineries to see how ice wines are produced.