Canada is rolling out the welcome mat for Chinese visitors now that it has secured its long awaited Approved Destination Status (ADS), but bargain-price trips won't be among the offerings according to officials in the country's tourism sector.

With Canada receiving the designation on Thursday during President Hu Jintao's state visit to Canada ahead of the G20 summit in Ontario this weekend, Chinese tourists can now visit the country in organized, pre-sold tourist groups.

Canada joins a list of 130-plus nations and regions designated to receive Chinese travelers. However, unlike some earlier experiences of Chinese tourists, Chris Jones, vice president of public affairs of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), said the Canadian industry needed to "avoid some of the occurrence that happened in Australia and New Zealand with the tours becoming low quality, commoditized, too much pressured shopping, that kind of stuff."

Stephen Regan, president and CEO of the Vancouver-based Council of Tourism Associations, said the ADS is a designation and opportunity the industry needs "to work through very carefully."

"We don't really want to be out there as a discount destination, we want to make sure we get high-yield customers and that when they come back to Canada, to (his home province) British Columbia in particular, they really get to see the authentic, iconic Canadian attractions, we want to make sure we do this right."

Both Air China and China Eastern Airlines are offering daily flights to Canada, while national carrier Air Canada is looking at increasing its China coverage.

While Canada and China are currently celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations, Richard Lee, who was born in China's Guangdong province and is now an elected official serving as the British Columbia Parliamentary Secretary for the Asia Pacific Initiative, said: "It will increase our business opportunity here and is good way to showcase our scenery."