Chinese tourists won't visit Canada
China has not lifted restrictions on tourist travel to Canada. How will this affect the country's economy?
China recently lifted bans on group tours to several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Canada has remained on the sidelines, meaning that China has not lifted the ban on travel to the Maple Leaf Country.
Chinese officials have said that Canada's exclusion from travel-allowed countries was due to allegations of interference in Canadian politics. Recent allegations that China tried to defame a Canadian politician do not improve the situation.
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism determines which countries Chinese tour operators can organize trips to. The ministry's leadership says it does this to ensure the safety of citizens leaving the country. However, many see it as a tool to promote China's political agenda abroad.
The fact that PRC citizens cannot come to Canada could seriously impact Canada's tourism industry. Experts estimate that before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists from China injected more than CAD 1 billion into the Canadian economy each year. The Canada-China Business Council reported in 2021 that more than 700,000 Chinese tourists visited Canada in 2018, each spending an average of CAD 2,600 in the country.
Last week, China removed 78 countries from the list of banned countries for group tours from Tianxia. Chinese citizens will now be able to visit countries such as the US, UK, Germany Australia and South Korea. Canada was not removed from the list, which now includes 138 countries.
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