China's ambassador set to arrive
7,000 Chinese visitors touch down in territory over last nine to 12 months
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Friday, September 11, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Premier Bob McLeod says he'll welcome China's top man in Canada to the city today. Luo Zhaohui, China's ambassador to Canada, is set to arrive in Yellowknife this afternoon to meet with members of the territorial government and tourism professionals to discuss the growing Chinese tourism industry.
Lou Zhaohui, right, China's ambassador to Canada, receives a gift from Premier Bob McLeod in Ottawa – during NWT Days in January – after McLeod's visit to China. The ambassador is visiting the city over the weekend to nurture relations with the GNWT and territorial tourism bigwigs. - photo courtesy of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada |
"We've got a whole bunch of activities scheduled for him," said McLeod. "We're going to have a dinner, have the opportunity to do some aurora viewing and also to meet some of the Chinese community."
Cathie Bolstad, executive director for NWT Tourism who is also gearing up for the meet-and-greet, said the conversation will focus on the recent influx of Chinese tourists.
Five years ago, there were 100 visitors to the NWT from China; in the past nine to 12 months, there were 7,000, Yellowknifer reported Wednesday.
"We'll discuss what the markets are, what Chinese visitors are coming to see when they're here, how we're seeing the market evolve and we'll be nurturing our relationship," said Bolstad.
"We give them an overview of what our people are doing in their country, and what their people are experiencing in our territory."
Hush-hush visit: MLA
According to Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins, details of the visit are hush-hush. He said he's been in contact with the Chinese delegation.
"I've been communicating with (them) and I'm looking forward to meeting (Zhaohui)," said Hawkins, adding the details aren't finalized.
Zhaohui, 54, has a masters' degree in history and began working for Chinese foreign affairs in 1985. He worked in Chinese embassies in India, the U.S. and Singapore and was the country's ambassador to Pakistan before becoming ambassador to Canada in 2014.
Hawkins said he expects their conversation will focus on trade relations. He said marketing diamonds to the Chinese has been a tough sell.
"The Chinese market in my experience is less focused on where (diamonds) originated from as opposed to the quality value," he said.
"The real opportunity on the horizon is getting the Chinese tourists here and seeing the aurora."
'Oil and gas potential'
The Chinese are interested in investing in local business, oil and gas and minerals in the territory, said McLeod. They're also hugely interested in the potential of shipping through the Northwest Passage, he said.
"The fact that they see the North as one way of shortening shipping routes, they're very interested in the oil and gas potential," said McLeod.
He said the diamond industry could pick up.
"The market in China is continuing to increase as we go forward," said McLeod.
Tourism easiest sell
McLeod said tourism is the easiest sell to the Chinese market.
The tourists are coming to Yellowknife to see the Northern lights but Bolstad said there is a new trend this year.
"We are seeing the Chinese market move into the Western Arctic along the Dempster Highway," she said.
Ragnar Wesstrom, owner of Trout Rock Lodge, in the North Arm of Great Slave Lake, said he's received an invitation to a reception for the ambassador. Tickets are $100, Wesstrom said, but he won't be able to attend because he's at the lodge and doesn't have a flight booked back to the city.
"I don't know if I'll be able to squeeze into
town," he said.
Wesstrom said Chinese tourists coming to see the Northern lights are keeping him busy.
"They're coming in the fall and the winter season, which is great," said Wesstrom, who uses Swedish-built Hagglunds all-terrain vehicles to take visitors on tours under the lights. "This year we already have bookings for 2,200 and 80 per cent of those are Chinese. It's booming."
"The market from Asia … is growing," Bolstad said. "And we've only started marketing in China since 2010."
That year, Canada received approved destination status from China, allowing leisure groups to travel to Canada.
Chinese travellers can only use travel agents approved by the China National Tourism Association (CNTA) to travel abroad, and Chinese travel agents can only use tour operators on the approved list in the destination country to arrange travel for Chinese tourists.
Bolstad said the city is gearing up to handle those tourists.
"You're seeing the hotels employ more people that speak the language … and we're seeing tour operators in the Chinese market grow," she said.
In November, NWT Tourism and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada will do a half-day training session teaching operators how to work with the Chinese, she said.
"They're actually going to find out how to accept the credit cards Chinese people use so they can spend more with your business," she said.
McLeod said he's met the ambassador a number of times.
"He's an outgoing guy, very experienced," he said. "He likes golf so we always have something to talk about."
He said the ambassador is set to go on a trip to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk on Sunday, returning to the city that night, before flying back to Ottawa on Monday.
