The Bow Valley should begin to see an influx of Chinese tourists this summer with three non-stop flights a week arriving at Calgary airport from Beijing beginning at the end of June.
The new flights were announced in February and are provided by air carrier Hainan Airline Services. Beginning June 30 the airline will offer three non-stop flights a week and a fourth flight in fall as well.
Travel Alberta CEO Royce Chwin said at a recent town hall session in Banff that the new flights are a good news story for the tourism industry in the province. Chwin said direct flights from China would help grow tourism revenues and strengthen Alberta’s competitive position as an international destination.
“That new flight from China could not come at a better time, particularly with what it could do in this region,” he said.
The additional visitors the flights will bring to Alberta help Travel Alberta with its growth strategy, which is to increase tourism revenues to $10 billion by 2020. Currently, the industry claims $8 billion in revenues and supports 127,000 jobs across the province.
“Direct air access from China will make Alberta easily accessible and attractive for Chinese travellers,” said Ricardo Miranda, Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Tourism earlier this year.
“This flight will directly support job creation, economic growth and market diversification for tourism and our province and play a significant role in growing tourism in Alberta to a $10 billion industry by 2020.”
Travel Alberta has been focused on the Chinese market over the past five years in anticipation of direct flights, according to Chwin.
Chwin said Chinese millennials are a very powerful demographic that is growing in that country and “a group that is really starting to travel and travelling differently than their parents.
“We have a hell of a lot of work to do to fill that plane in winter,” he added.
Chwin said Chinese travellers are interested in winter experiences, especially in the Rocky Mountain region – i.e. Banff and surrounding area.
Banff Lake Louise Tourism CEO Leslie Bruce also spoke to the arrival of direct flights and how her organization is working with Travel Alberta to provide local businesses with training to be culturally ready for Chinese tourists.
“We are thrilled with the opening up of flights and we want to generate growth to maintain that flight,” she said.
In May and June, Travel Alberta is offering working sessions for staff in the Banff and Lake Louise area to prepare them for Chinese tourists. There is also an online webinar for those interested in the latest trends and market potential of the Chinese traveller.
