With deep tensions mounting between China and Canada, Travel Alberta has pulled its overseas marketing program aimed at attracting Chinese visitors to Alberta.
The provincial marketing agency joined other Canadian agencies, including Explore BC and Destination Canada, in halting all promotional efforts and staff visits to China.
WATCH: As diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and Beijing continue, Destination Canada said it is “pausing” its marketing efforts in China.
Travel Alberta president and CEO Royce Chwin said the agency has been working with numerous tour operators and other media partners in the past years to promote the Alberta experience. Those marketing efforts will be suspended until at least next year, or when tensions improve, Chwin said.
“We work with the media over there and we also work with tour operators who represent Alberta and sell Alberta experiences to Chinese visitors and so we’ve just paused working in those direct channels for now,” Chwin said.
“When things are going on bigger politically, far beyond tourism, we’re sensitive to putting out a tourism message whether it’s a natural disaster or something political or worse.”
China is a major player in Alberta’s tourism industry – with more than 136,000 Chinese visitors travelling to Alberta each year – resulting in an estimated $136 million for the tourism industry annually, according to the latest figures available.
Watch: China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that a Canadian woman is undergoing “administrative punishment” for working illegally, after Canada’s government said a third Canadian citizen had been detained in China. (Dec. 20)
The move comes as a third Canadian was detained in China for an apparent illegal visa, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
Travel Alberta said China is the province’s second-largest international tourism market, behind the United Kingdom.
It’s unclear what the long-term economic impact will be, but Chwin said he has confidence the tourism industry will bounce back quickly.
“Travellers are still travelling. They’re still coming to Canada. Canadians are still coming to market.
“We talked with our sources that sell Alberta travel packages and there has not been a significant drop in bookings at all,” he said. “People still have the will to travel.”