Editor,
Recently Canada was granted approved destination status from China. Our local municipal governments response is to send two "volunteers" to meet people in a far off land and possibly make a couple key introductions to so called "key players" [老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 goes to Shanghai," The Chief, July 9].
It is not a tourism industry focused trip (why?). The price tag for this taxpayer funded experience is $5,800. I'm sorry, I feel this excursion will create a very low return on investment.
I'm sure that our council has the best intentions to represent 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 in China but for a fraction of the cost they could create the more potent long term connections in the Lower Mainland. One trip to China will not create the type of introductions we require, long term.
As a business owner who has been doing business in China for 10 years, I feel sending people on far away journeys to create opportunities is not a very potent use of taxpayer dollars.
For no cost, they could research the inbound Chinese tourism operator market, develop a contact list of industry players in the Lower Mainland and start reaching out to them with a well planned marketing campaign. You could track the results and report back, adjust your strategy as needed.
It will take years to develop the necessary relationships to attract Chinese investment and tourism and I'm sure a Tourism 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 staffer could develop that for us simply by travelling down the road to Vancouver on a regular basis and attending Tourism Vancouver events.
This is where the key players in the travel tourism industry network. (I've been a member 15 years)
We are lacking infrastructure in 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 to deal with either Chinese inbound tourism or to attract Asian based investors. Although it's not as sexy as an international trade mission, this same $5,800 would easily purchase a Mandarin version of the Tourism 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 and Business 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 websites, and probably still have money left over for Google advertising.
Tourism 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 staff and the existing Economic Development committee could then create a marketing plan and build relationships with key tour operators and investors.
Many of those business connections can be made through the Chinese Embassy in Vancouver and the Internet.
We don't need to shake hands in China, yet. We need to start figuring out what to do with the hundreds of thousands of inbound Chinese tourists who will arrive on our shores in the immediate future and how to best offer them the 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 experience.
As it stands they will stop at the Adventure centre for 10 minutes to take photos of the Chief and then continue to Whistler where they have an established and well funded tourist service infrastructure that understands the cultural, diet and experiential needs of the Chinese tourist and business owner.
If you are going to send two people to China, maybe one of those people should be from Tourism 老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 instead of a volunteer politician.
At least that way our own tourism industry people can better understand the opportunities being created by approved destination status and develop an action plan to create ongoing benefit for the entire community.
Craig Davidiuk
老澳门六合彩开奖记录资料
