OTTAWA - Today the government of Canada announced the official opening of 7 new Visa Application Centres (VACs) across China. These VACs will be instrumental in the upcoming 2018 Canada-China Tourism Year, and the fulfillment of the goal to double Chinese visitation laid out in the New Tourism Vision. As of today's announcement, VACs will be located in the following cities in China: Beijing; Chengdu; Chongqing; Guangzhou; Hangzhou; Jinan; Kunming; Nanjing; Shanghai; Shenyang; Wuhan.

 

TIAC was also pleased to see that the acceptance of UnionPay for payment processing will be introduced in 2018. UnionPay has been a strategic partner of TIAC since 2015 helping the industry prepare for more Chinese visitors through our China readiness program. 

 

TIAC has been a strong voice advocating for Canada to increase the number of Visa Application Centres (VACs) in the lucrative Chinese market--VACs are instrumental in expediting the visa process by ensuring that applications are complete and accurate. To date VACs were limited to major Chinese cities making it more difficult for potential travellers in other cities to apply for visas. Today's announcement to open an additional 7 new centres in key growth markets is great news for continued growth in the Canadian tourism industry. TIAC wishes to acknowledge the outstanding support and efforts of the Minister of Small Business & Tourism, the Honourable Bardish Chagger, for her role in making this important step forward a reality.

 

With a rapidly growing middle class and an increasing appetite for travel, VACs in more areas of China will make it easier for potential Chinese travellers to make Canada their destination of choice. Entering these new markets will mean more visitors, more spending, and further growth in Chinese visitors. Chinese visitation to Canada is up 10.6% in the first 8 months of this year, and is second only to the U.K. as one of our largest overseas markets.

 

Canada's tourism industry is a $91.6 billion industry, with 1.7 million Canadian jobs dependent on economic activity generated by travel and tourism. This announcement is a step in the right direction in achieving the New Tourism Vision's stated goal to double Chinese visitation by 2021. 

 

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For more information please contact:

 

Marcela Diaz
Director, Public Affairs and Communications
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
mdiaz@tiac-aitc.ca
t: 613-238-6378