Alberta making efforts to draw more Chinese visitors

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The province of Alberta in Canada is making efforts to attract more Chinese tourists, especially ahead of the China-Canada Tourist Year in 2018, according to Darlene Fedoroshyn, the Travel Alberta director of business development in the Asia-Pacific.

Alberta, in western part of Canada, is home to many iconic tourist attractions, such as the Banff and Jasper national parks, as well as Lake Louise.

The province's tourist department, Travel Alberta, is trying to tap the Chinese market through innovative promotions and in-depth collaboration programs with tourist agencies in China.

The province of Alberta in Canada is making efforts to attract more Chinese tourists, especially ahead of the China-Canada Tourist Year in 2018, according to Darlene Fedoroshyn, the Travel Alberta director of business development in the Asia-Pacific. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It recently launched a winter campaign on the Chinese social network app WeChat. The campaign, called "Ready to get ignited", offers three Chinese travelers a trip to explore Alberta with an online personality.

To highlight the activities available, each winner will participate in a themed itinerary — Winter Culture, Winter Wilderness or Winter Sports.

Also, by taking part in Travel Alberta's WeChat H5 test, one has a chance to become one of the finalists, and netizens can vote for the winners of each category.

As China becomes the largest outbound tourist market globally, Travel Alberta is investing more to boost its presence in the Chinese market, according to Fedoroshyn.

The province of Alberta in Canada is making efforts to attract more Chinese tourists, especially ahead of the China-Canada Tourist Year in 2018, according to Darlene Fedoroshyn, the Travel Alberta director of business development in the Asia-Pacific. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Alberta has seen continued growth of tourism since China officially approved Canada as a tourist destination for Chinese citizens in 2010, and Travel Alberta has made the Chinese market one of its main focuses in recent years, she adds.

A survey by the Canadian statistics department shows that Chinese tourists aged between 20 and 34 form the biggest group of those who travel to Canada.

The newly added winter itineraries include activities in Alberta, including aurora and wildlife viewing in the Dark Sky Preserves, the Canadian Rockies' ice castles and sculptures and the “frozen bubbles” phenomenon in Abraham Lake, alongside activities like skiing and ice-walking.