With every passing day, Canada’s zeal to tap China as a tourist source market is becoming stronger and stronger.

Recently, it was indicated that a couple of senior government officials from Canada are to travel to China in the New Year, in an effort to “ease criticism of Ottawa's cooling relations with Beijing.”

In a new development, however, Premier Gordon Campbell has launched a new marketing campaign to promote British Colombia’s tourism industry in China, despite Bejing’s delay in granting Canada approved destination status.

The new marketing campaign includes trade and consumer shows, press tours for Chinese media, educational seminars for tour operators, promotional videos and a new Chinese-language Tourism B.C. website, www.hellobc.com.cn/.

According to Canada.com, Campbell, who was at Shanghai’s China International Travel Mart trade show last week as part of his two-week trip to Asia, said in a news release that the province needs to “maximize the opportunities that exist right now, such as inviting those Chinese citizens currently able to travel for meetings, incentive, conventions and exhibitions.”

The report again emphasized on the fact that until Canada receives approved destination status, individual Chinese citizens cannot obtain exit visas to visit Canada as tourists. “Nevertheless, the number of Chinese visitors to B.C. is rapidly growing. Some 61,000 Chinese came to the province between January and August, up nine per cent from the same period last year,” the report added.

Recently, it was shared that Canadian International Trade Minister David Emerson and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay are gearing up to visit China. “I hope to make some headway on a variety of trade issues, such as Approved Destination Status (ADS),” Emerson had reportedly said.