YVR travellers increase with simplified visa-free transit program

Victoria: The B.C. economy will benefit from recent federal changes to the China Transit Program that make it easier for airlines to carry eligible Chinese passengers through Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto announced. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander announced changes to the China Transit Program (CTP) that allows eligible Chinese travellers to fly to and transit through Canada visa-free when they are en route to and from the United States. Adding the Seoul and Tokyo airports to this program benefits YVR with increased air service and passenger growth, including additional revenue for the airport through landing fees and spending by travellers. It also supports YVR’s goal to become a worldclass sustainable connecting hub. The federal government has committed to look at further expansion of transit programs and is assessing the eligibility of other departure cities in China, with the potential to generate an additional 50 flights a week between China and the Americas through Vancouver. The result would be an additional 2,800 jobs and $167.5 million in gross domestic product to the B.C. economy over the next five years. Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business said, “Tourism in B.C. is booming and accounts for 4% of the province’s total GDP. In 2014 we saw overnight entries from China alone up 26.2% compared to 2013. Ongoing expansion of visa-free transiting programs improves air access for our tourism industry as well as secures flights between YVR and emerging tourism markets in Asia.”