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China marketing and sales programs

Canada was granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) by China in June 2010, allowing the CTC and travel trade to actively market Canada directly to Chinese consumers. Since then, CTC-China has undertaken a variety of ongoing marketing activities has increased the awareness of Canada in China.

These include:

  • Consumer marketing campaigns
  • Collaboration with Canadian partners and 29 preferred agencies on ads and editorials for products in 2012
  • Collaboration with four agencies in China on ads and editorials for a Calgary Stampedepromotion “Together We Breakfast” on July 7 hosted by Travel Alberta
  • E-marketing initiatives
  • In-house training for travel agencies in Beijing and Guangzhou.
  • Increasing preferred agency numbers to 29, with companies from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou
  • Extending the distribution of the travel guides, promotional items and table calendars to CTC’s “Tier Three” cities
  • Supporting key wholesalers’ training seminars in 20 cities with more than 2,000 participants taking part
  • Participation at Guangzhou International Travel Fair
  • Press conferences in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in cooperation with Travel Alberta with 150 journalists attending
  • VIP dinner for key travel agencies in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in cooperation with Travel Alberta, with 160 travel agents attending
  • Focus Canada-China 2012 in Beijing in March: more than 90 Canadian reps from 63 companies and organizations plus just under 100 buyers from 70 Chinese travel agencies took part
  • Media familiarization (FAM) tours

Consumer Read more > Close >

Consumers

After three successful phases of our consumer campaign in 2011—Hello! Canada, Explore Canada and Magic Canada—the CTC introduced its new global marketing platform to the China market in spring 2012. This included a new consumer website and a 2012 spring/summer campaign. Here we highlight unique Canadian travel experiences in a traveller-to-traveller tone. As an extension of the spring/summer campaign, CTC will launch an innovative Canadian Explorer campaign with Travel Channel and other affiliated online and print media showcasing carefully selected Chinese consumers enjoying a range of Signature Experiences across Canada. The Travel Channel, with a viewing audience of 15-20 million, will broadcast the show for 26 weeks starting July 2012.

Consumer websites

Chinese consumers can visit our consumer website to get travel ideas, learn about Canadian destinations, view podcasts and read the Chinese e-brochure. There is also an option to explore a fresh Canada through various fully independent traveller (FIT) itineraries and group itineraries.

 

Travel Trade Read more > Close >

CTC-China travel-trade development focuses on the wholesale and retail aspects of selling travel. The China team conducts co-op advertising with our Canadian partners and 29 preferred agencies, organizes trade shows, conducts sales calls, organizes tour-operator and partner familiarization tours and conducts group or in-house training seminars in major cities in China. Tourism British Columbia, Travel Alberta, Tourism Ontario and Tourisme Québec have partnered in promotions to date. 

CTC-China enlarged its preferred agency list to 29 after discussions with the Canadian Embassy and key players from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. The CTC and key partners are in discussion with them for product designs and joint promotions in China, set for launch in spring 2012.

To date in 2012:

  • Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined CTC-China’s opening ceremony for our spring/summer Tourism Campaign on Feb. 8 in the Canadian Experiences Hall in the CYTS building in Beijing, together with CTC chair Steve Allan and CYTS president Mr. Zhang Li Jun.
  • CTC showcased Canada as a four-season travel destination to southern Chinese travellers, travel trade and media in Guangzhou at the Guangzhou International Travel Fair. The 225-sq-m booth had a brand-new look with areas for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and the Calgary Stampede. We brought Harry the Horse, the Indian Princess, the Keister Family Fiddlers and a magician from Canada to entertain travellers from the Pearl River Delta area.
  • Focus Canada-China 2012 took place in Beijing in March. It comprised pre-arranged meetings for 90-plus delegates from 63 Canadian companies and organizations to meet 100 Chinese travel agents from 70 companies in China.
  • CTC-China led spring training seminars in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in March for more than 700 participants, in partnership with Tourism British Columbia, Travel Alberta, Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation and Tourisme Québec. The Canadian Embassy also offered visa training.
  • CTC-China, in cooperation with Travel Alberta, held VIP dinners in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou for 160 executives from key travel agencies. The CTC is also working with four travel agencies on vacation packages for Calgary Stampede promotions. Stampede products are promoted in China through co-op advertising in major newspapers in China.
  • Working with key meetings, conventions and incentive travel (MC&IT) agencies in Beijing and Guangzhou, high-end incentive groups are visiting Canada’smajor provinces.

Canada Specialist Program

The Canada Specialist Program(CSP) provides online destination training for all frontline staff in China, plus a range of activities and promotions to keep Canada top of mind.

Participating travel agents are offered a range of information and support, including:

  • Online training modules and exams with instant results
  • Selling tools, including maps and posters
  • Familiarization (FAM) trips
  • Tools and training manuals
  • Canada Specialist websites and e-newsletters
  • Conferences and seminars.

The Canada Specialist Program (CSP) Level 2 in Chinese launched in April 2011, giving Chinese agents access to key information on tourism products. Working with travel agency CYTS in Beijing, we will select two qualified CYTS agents to take part in Stampede activities in Calgary, AB, from July 13-18. China now has more than 700 travel agents who have passed the CSP tests.

Trade shows

  • Showcase Canada-Asia: Oct. 13-21, in South Korea, with 61 Chinese buyers
  • Canada’s West Marketplace, with 14 Chinese delegates
  • Focus Canada-China
  • Guangzhou International Travel Fair, Guangzhou
  • Rendez-vous Canada in May with 30 Chinese delegates
  • Joint FAM tours with four key provincial marketing organizations
  • Training seminars in key cities for key travel agencies

Media Read more > Close >

CTC-China assists Chinese media (including travel, high-end lifestyle, business and social media, plus major websites, newspapers and networks) with story ideas and travel assistance so that they can experience Canada destinations first-hand. Media familiarization (FAM) tours are conducted to various Canadian partner provinces and territories. We also host media lunches, conduct workshops and training in conjunction with partners, engage in clipping, and offer media monitoring and quarterly e-newsletters.
 

We held press conferences in cooperation with Travel Alberta in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou with over 150 participants. Steve Allan took part in one-to-one interviews arranged in February during his visit to China for the opening of CTC-China’s spring/summer travel campaign.

 

Inbound travel to Canada from China
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Overnight trip to Canada (000's) 113.2 139.0 150.8 158.7 159.5 193.3
Year to year change 18.7% 22.7% 8.5% 5.3% 0.4% 21.2%
Receipts ($M) 219.2 256.6 257.9 262.9 261.0 317.1
Year to year change 28.3% 17.1% 0.5% 2.0% -0.7% 21.5%
Source: International Travel Survey, Statistics Canada.

Quick facts Read more > Close >

  • From January to July 2011, Chinese overnight trips to Canada increased 22% over 2010.
  • Chinese outbound departures increased to 57.4 million in 2010, boasting a remarkable year-on-year growth of 20.4%. (Source: China National Tourism Administration)
  • In 2010, the general income of the Chinese tourism industry rose to CNY 1.57 trillion, a 21.7% increase over 2009.
  • China’s economy remained buoyant in 2010 as GDP and private consumption strengthened 10.3% and 11.2% respectively. Monetary tightening to rein in inflation and slow growth is forecasted to yield a GDP growth of 9% by the end of 2011 and 8.4% in 2012. (Source: Oxford Economics, July 2011)
  • Chinese outbound departures increased to 31.9 million in 2010, an impressive 21.8% year-on-year growth.(Source: Oxford Economics, July 2011)
  • Overnight trips to Canada from China increased 21.2% in 2010 to 193,300 trips.
  • China travellers injected $317.1 million into the Canadian economy in 2010, a significant improvement of 21.5% over 2009.
  • In 2010, Chinese travellers spent on average $1,640 per person-trip; the average stay was 28 nights.
  • Following Canada being granted ADS, the share of Chinese travellers visiting Canada for pleasure soared by 6.1% to account for 18.1% of all Chinese travellers. While visiting friends and family captured 33% of total overnight travellers, that number tumbled by 11.7% relative to 2009.  
  • Business overnight travel to Canada in 2010 represented 24.4% of Chinese overnight travel to Canada, up 3.8% over 2009.
  • Chinese tourists preferred to visit Canada during the summer months, with approximately 76,300 visitors arriving from July through September 2010, a 37.2% increase over 2009.
  • Chinese overnight travellers to Canada were evenly distributed over age groups in 2010, but saw significant increases in the 35-years-or-less age group.

Source: Statistics Canada, International Travel Survey unless otherwise indicated. All Statistics Canada numbers are preliminary.

Current trends and market considerations Read more > Close >

China has huge tourism potential for Canada and the CTC is committed to succeed in this growing market. Guided by the overall CTC corporate strategy, we are moving forward with robust and innovative marketing plans. Our existing strategy in China involves developing and maintaining strong business and personal relationships with the leading wholesale and retail travel agencies in key market regions and cities across China.

Media and PR activities play a crucial role in reaching Chinese consumers, while developing the growing Meetings, Conventions and Incentive Travel (MC&IT) market is another key strategy.

Contact our team Read more > Close >

Contact our team for more information.

Latest Campaigns Read more > Close >

A selection of ads from CTC's most recent campaign.

 

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