Alberta courting visitors from China

Canada's western province of Alberta is looking to attract a record number of Chinese travelers in 2018, as the Canada-China Year of Tourism generates fresh opportunities for enhanced cooperation between the two countries, said a Canadian official.

The move by Alberta, the fourth most populous province in Canada, is part of the country's broader push to double the number of Chinese visitors by 2021.

"The Canada-China Year of Tourism recognizes the strong cultural ties and business relationships between our two nations," said Deron Bilous, minister of economic development and trade for the Government of Alberta.

"We look forward to welcoming even more Chinese visitors to our province in the coming months," Bilous said at a news conference.

China is Canada's third-largest tourism source market, following the United States and the United Kingdom. According to Destination Canada, the government body promoting travel to Canada, an estimated 750,000 Chinese tourists visited Canada by the end of 2017, up 23 percent from the previous year.

For Alberta alone, the province's direct entries from China increased nearly 65 percent year-on-year to about 18,000 in 2017.

Cindy Termorshuizen, deputy head of mission at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, said Alberta's initiatives would boost China-Canada relations.