Chinese tourism to Canada still lags behind pre-pandemic levels, data shows

Data shows Chinese tourism in Canada is lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. An industry expert said tourists from the People's Republic brought in $2 billion in 2019.

Data released by Statistics Canada shows Chinese tourism is far behind pre-pandemic levels, reaching barely a third of those numbers last year as tensions remain fraught between Ottawa and Beijing.

An industry spokesperson told Global News the visits had brought in billions of dollars in 2019.

Statistics Canada figures show a rising number of visits from China to Canada in the years leading up to the pandemic. Nearly 625,000 people visited in 2016 and 2018 saw the highest number, 757,000, dropping slightly to 748,607 visits in 2019.

That was the year after China detained two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, in December 2018 in what was widely viewed as retaliation for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou by Canadian authorities at the behest of the United States.

Pandemic restrictions reduced the number to just 41,500 in 2021. The drop-off began in March 2020 with visits plummeting to 5,200, and just 930 visited in April of that year.

A little more than 225,000 Chinese visitors journeyed to Canada in 2023.

Beth Potter, Tourism Industry Association of Canada president and CEO, told Global News the numbers had been growing prior to COVID-19 because many people were visiting friend and family, attending school or travelling for business.

In all, she said Chinese tourist brought in $2 billion in spending in 2019 – more than $2,500 per trip.