Ottawa, ON March 08, 2018-As we’ve ushered in the 2018 Canada-China Tourism Year (CCYT), the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and UnionPay International have forged a new strategic partnership to better serve the Canadian Tourism Industry and empower the advancement of TIAC’s members in the Chinese market segment.

Through this new partnership, UnionPay International now becomes a TIAC Industry Patron to collaborate on business development, joint promotional activities, and contribute to TIAC’s 2018 Tourism Town Hall series by providing important market-related statistics and information. UnionPay International has been working with TIAC over the past two years through TIAC’s China Advancement Program by delivering China-Readiness seminars and assisting businesses set up UnionPay payment across Canada. Through this partnership, both TIAC and UnionPay will continue to work towards deepening Canada’s knowledge in receiving Chinese visitors and ensuring we are meeting the expectations of Chinese tourists when visiting Canada.  Increased visitation will help stimulate Chinese visitor spending in Canada, create more jobs and increase tourism revenue.

 “TIAC is delighted to strengthen our relationship with UnionPay International and elevate our efforts in taking the tourism industry in Canada beyond China-ready to China-ambitious.” said TIAC President and CEO, Charlotte Bell. “The partnership will enable us to do more focused work in this special year when our countries come together in recognition of the importance of the Chinese market to the Canadian tourism industry.”

According to Statistics Canada’s latest numbers, in 2017, Canada welcomed an estimated 694,500 Chinese visitors to the country, an increase of 11.2% over 2016.   China has become Canada’s 3rd largest market in terms of arrivals, and the 2nd largest market in terms of tourist receipts, contributing $1.5 billion to the Canadian economy. TIAC manages the Canada-China Inbound Tour Operator Program with over 75 Canadian Inbound Tour Operators committed to deliver excellence and professional service to Chinese tourists.

“With the number of tourists from China and other parts of Asia to Canada growing rapidly, UnionPay International is devoted to offering better experiences to our cardholders when they stay in Canada.” said General Manager of UnionPay International America, Ms. June Chen. “We share the same goal for better serving the arriving tourists, which lays a solid foundation for our cooperation. Now, we enhance our partnership to help more institutions and merchants in Canada to get familiar with UnionPay and to support UnionPay payment while offering UnionPay-exclusive discounts, to better meet the payment demands of our cardholders.”

UnionPay is the preferred payment service provider for Chinese tourists and other visitors from the Asia Pacific region. It has been operating in Canada since 2009, and is under the supervision of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC). By the end of 2017, UnionPay cards are issued in 48 countries and regions, and are accepted in 168 countries and regions around the world. In Canada, 90 per cent of ATMs and over 150,000 merchants accept UnionPay cards.  UnionPay mobile QuickPass is also accepted at some retail and convenient stores in Canada. UnionPay is also accepted online at all Canadian Visa Application Centers in China. 

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For more information please contact:

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

About TIAC

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is the only national organization representing the full cross section of the tourism industry in Canada. Our membership is derived of businesses representing transportation, accommodations, destinations and attractions from coast to coast to coast. TIAC’s mission seeks to encourage a healthy Canadian tourism market by increasing international visitation to Canada.