January 2019 E-Newsletter

President’s Message

Happy New Year! I hope all the members had a great holiday season and are ready to tackle new challenges in 2019.

First challenge, the weather. It looks like winter has not entirely passed yet. With the heavy snowfall and low temperatures in eastern Canada Coast, I hope everyone will get through the season safely.

Second challenge, some recent concerns regarding the tensions between Canada and China. We understand that the market is very sensitive. Any decisions and reactions will influence the inclination to travel. Since the Chinese market has been continuing to increase for almost a decade, we believe that both counties in tourism are still going in a positive direction. There doesn’t seem to have any immediately damage at this point. We hope this influence, like the winter storm, will pass through quickly.

Not only us, our neighbor, the United States, has also faced challenges with the government lockout and shutdown of some services including tourism services and facilities. The two nation itineraries are always popular in Asian countries so we hope they can resolve the problems and return back to normal soon to reduce impacts.

Besides those challenges, we also see many opportunities in 2019, including: Korean and Chinese TV dramas influence for attracting more Asian tourists to visit Canada.; the Winter Aurora package has become more popularity; the increasing amount of tourists during the shoulder seasons of March, April, September, and October; the double digit increase of Chinese and Indian tourists in 2018; and the continuation of the Chinese guide program training course in Vancouver. We believe that Canadian tourism is still popular among the Asian-Pacific market and the potential to grow is present.

The next CITAP major event will be AGM on May 28 in Toronto. We invite all the members to attend and welcome all who are interested to join the board or volunteer. February 5th is Chinese New Year. In the Chinese Zodiac, 2019 is the Year of the Golden Pig, which will bring increased revenue and opportunities. We wish everyone have a Happy Chinese New Year and a successful and prosperous 2019.

Alice Lin, CITAP President

RTO Reports

Market updates are written by Receptive Tour Operator members and in this issue we have updates from the following markets: Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia. Enjoy their anecdotal assessment of each of our primary Asia Pacific markets with a combination of overview, economy, and forecast. Read the full report on our Reports and Presentations page.

Destination Canada: Capturing the Imagination of Japanese Free Spirits

Destination Canada (in cooperation with DMO, PMO and commercial partners) develops content year-round with leading Japanese entertainment, travel and lifestyle media publishers as well as print media companies with active social media followings. This content manifests itself in a variety of ways, from print media that is still popular among Japanese consumers to digital content that will be easily consumable among Japan’s smartphone users (Japanese smartphone penetration is 95–98%). The content exposes travelers to Canada and creates associations with media brands that have social and cultural clout in Japan.

Destination Canada is pleased to showcase a recent example from Madame Figaro Japan on Ontario: https://madamefigaro.jp/special/180824-canada/

RTO Interview: 5 Questions with Chris Pillwein

Chris Pillwein, Director, Director of Procurement, North America for APT Travel Group

1. What are your key responsibilities at APT? How long have you been with the company?

My key responsibilities are the negotiation and contracting of most hotel, attractions and some transport suppliers across Canada and parts of the US on behalf of the APT Travel Group. I source partners and products which help create unique itineraries which enhance and broaden our tour programs while strengthening our position within the destination.

The APT Travel Group is an Australian family-owned organisation, (established in 1927), which has grown into Australia’s leading global tour and cruise operator. The group’s primary brands (APT & Travelmarvel) attract guests primarily from markets in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

I have been with APT since 2006 having been in the roles of Customer Relations Manager and Commercial & Marketing Manager prior to moving to Vancouver in 2016 to take-up my current role.

2. Have you always worked in the tourism industry?

Yes. I commenced my career in hotels (front office, auditor, and Assistant Manager) while obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Business (Hotel Management). Following graduation, I headed to California where I worked in Sales and Business Development for an Australian Wholesaler. Returning to Australia in 2005.

3. What made you decide to leave Melbourne, and move to Vancouver?

The opportunity to advance my career in an area of the business that held great appeal. I love working for APT and I love the destination (Canada). And moving from one of the world’s “most liveable cities” to another “most liveable city” made the decision quite easy.

4. What was your perception of Canada before moving here? Was this perception validated?

Some may disagree but I think Canadians and Australians have many things in common. I expected that I would experience very little culture-shock. That’s reasonably accurate although the pace of life is a little slower and Canadians are incredibly gracious and forgiving. The Vancouver winter Olympics displayed the Canadians good nature, humour and competitiveness to the world and it is true in every sense. I had been to Western Canada a few times and knew that the beauty of BC and Canada is unmistakable. So my perception was validated yet I can happily say I have a lot more to see and experience.

5. Australia has become a prime destination for Chinese tourists in the last few years. What do you think were the best drivers of this growth? Do you expect that Australian tourism will benefit from the current political situation between Canada and China?

The number of Chinese international travelers is growing each year with many destinations benefiting from this growth, including Australia and Canada. Some of the draw cards for the Chinese visitor to Australia are similar to that of Canada, such as scenic beauty, unique attractions, direct airlift, a similar rate of exchange, robust economic ties and investment, strong cultural connections including visiting friends and relatives with increasing levels of Chinese immigration, and a tourism industry that is improving its ability to cater for this growing market. 2017 visitor numbers indicate that Australia is more successful at enticing the Chinese visitor with double the number of visitors (1.39M vs 682k).

I think it is inevitable that the current eco-political climate will affect demand for travel to Canada which, in turn, is bound to benefit other destinations. I suspect that while Canada is currently reconsidering its tourism investment in China and evaluating visitor forecast, so too, Australia will look to capitalize on this.

2019 CITAP Membership Renewal

As you may be aware, effective 2020, CITAP will moving to a calendar year membership. This means all memberships will be valid for a period of January 1st to December 31st. Since many CITAP members already share an anniversary date of December 31st, it may be time to renew your CITAP membership once again. Invoices were emailed prior to the new year and we thank all of you that have submitted your renewals. If you are unsure of your membership status or require further information, please email us at info@citap.ca. In addition, you may review the full membership policy here.

Save the Date: 2019 CITAP Upcoming Events

Annual General Meeting: Mark your calendars! With Rendez-Vous Canada 2019 taking place in Toronto, the CITAP AGM will be held the morning of May 28, 2019. The 2018 AGM had a record turn out and we are grateful to all members who attended. Based on the success of the event, we have once again decided to host our AGM prior to RVC. Venue information will be announced in the coming weeks!

Hidi Nishi Classic: Our popular summer event will be held at the Tsawwassen Springs Golf Course on Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Registration information will be sent out in the spring.

2019 Winter Function: As always, our biggest event of the year will be held in BC early December! This year’s event will take place on Tuesday, December 3rd. We are currently in the process of securing a venue. Please stay tuned for details!

Members’ Corner

In this Members’ corner, you can share your latest news and updates with other members, or learn other members’ latest updates and news! In this issue, over 10 organizations have shared their latest updates with us. Click below to see their updates.

Welcome New Members

Tourland Travel Ltd.
Jia Hua Travel
Destination Northern Ontario
Tourism Burnaby
Southern Quebec/ Tourism Eastern Townships
Central Counties Tourism
Travel Penticton
Autocar Excellence / Érablière le Chemin du Roy
Qc national parks and wildlife reserves/SEPAQ
Silver Star Mountain Resort
Best Western Plus Revelstoke
InnVest Hotels
Baldy Mountain Resort
Capilano Group of Companies