2018 - CANADA-CHINA YEAR OF TOURISM

2018: A year to remember

Although nearly 10,000 km separate our two countries, we are friends and family.

Today, more than 1.7 million Canadians—about 5% of Canada's population—have Chinese ancestry. Mandarin and Cantonese are the most spoken languages in Canada after English and French.

To celebrate our deep ties, the governments of Canada and China have officially named 2018 the Canada-China Year of Tourism. It's an incredible opportunity to celebrate our history and what makes us unique.

2018 will be a great year for Canadian tourism. We're ready to welcome record numbers of Chinese visitors, and Canadian tourism operators are ready to show off all the excitement and adventure that our country has to offer.

Quick facts

• In 2016, more than 610,000 Chinese tourists visited Canada
• More than 1.8 million Canadian jobs are related to the tourism sector
• In 2016, international visitors contributed $20 billion to Canada's economy
• In September 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang officially declared 2018 the Canada-China Year of Tourism
• The Government of Canada has set a goal of doubling the number of Chinese tourists coming to Canada by 2021
• Canada recently opened seven new visa application centres in China to help Chinese visitors come to Canada more easily and quickly
• China is currently Canada’s second-largest trading partner, after the United States