(TAN): Canadian province Nova Scotia will be connected to China through two direct charter flights in 2020 as the province aims to improve its tourism, reports said.
Next fall, Chinese Southern Airlines will operate two flights from Guangzhou, the capital of China’s Guangdong province, to the Canadian city of Halifax, capital of Nova Scotia. The flights, reportedly carrying 271 tourists each, will fly in late September and early October next year during the Golden Week that marks the period of seven-day vacation for Chinese people.
Boeing 787-9 aircraft will reportedly be deployed for the first direct air connection between China and Atlantic Canada.
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Passengers on both flights will be offered travel packages that enable them to travel to parts of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, reports said.
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil, who made the announcement, reportedly said the flights will lead to more charter flights and a direct commercial flight between China and Atlantic Canada in future. He also hoped for a seasonal air service that will operate biweekly from spring to fall between the two destinations, reports said.
“Oftentimes Transport Canada looks at the central part of our country and looks at [the] West Coast when it comes to the Asia market. We need them to look at providing us with an opportunity to have a direct flight into Atlantic Canada,” he was quoted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as saying.
Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Nova Scotia, Michele Saran, reportedly said they were looking to China to help the province fulfill its aim of welcoming 50,000 Chinese tourists by 2024, from 5,000 visitors in 2018.
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“Nova Scotia is the next hotspot” for Chinese visitors, The Signal quoted her.
As per reports, she also said she hoped to have charters operate twice a week between May and October each year as they can draw more visitors to Atlantic Canada.
Canada received 1.6 million inbound visitors from China in 2019, while Chinese tourists form Canada’s second-largest market in visitor spending, with an average of CAD 2,850 (USD 2,150 approximately) per trip, reports said.
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