WATCH: The diplomatic rift between Canada and China has led to fears from some of decreased tourism from China on Vancouver Island.
The diplomatic rift between Canada and China has led to fears from some of decreased tourism from China on Vancouver Island.
“Instability in any way, shape or form, whether it’s the introduction of visas, whether there’s negative trade negotiations… it does certainly present some concern,” said Joe Jansen, executive vice president of Wilson’s Group, which provides transportation services across Vancouver Island.
In 2017, Canada had 682,000 arrivals from China, each spending an average of nearly $2,400 per trip.
Last year, more than 262,000 visitors to B.C. were from China, adding an estimated $686 million to the B.C. economy.
Jansen said he is hoping for a quick resolution.
“We’d like to see it go away. I don’t know how else to say that, I don’t know how we can influence that other than hope that our politicians do the right thing, because they’ve made a big effort on the positive to this point and now this is sort of a negative situation for us right now,” he said.
On Monday, a Chinese court sentenced a Canadian convicted of drug smuggling charges to death.
Canada is asking China not to execute him.
On December 1, 2018, Huawei’s CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver at the request of the U.S.
Calvin To
