MONTREAL - The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and Destination Canada (DC) on Monday announced a new plan to tap the potential of the growing Chinese market.

The Canana-China Tourism Advancement (CCTA) program, announced at Canada's premier international tourism conference -- Rendez-Vous Canada 2016, expands on the Canada-China Inbound Tour Operator Accreditation Program to help all members of Canada's tourism industry take advantage of growing opportunities in the Chinese marketplace.

On June 24, 2010, China and Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate outbound tourist group travel from China to Canada. The Canada-China Inbound Tour Operator Accreditation Program has been implemented since May 2010 to fulfill the requirement of the memorandum.

Charlotte Bell, TIAC president and CEO, said an average annual growth rate of 24 percent per year generated over $3 billion in revenue.

"However, the Chinese market is changing due to the new 10-year multiple visa, the growth of the Free and Independent Travel (FIT) segment, increased air capacity, as well as increased competition. TIAC understands that to truly capitalize on the opportunities, a more coordinated, sophisticated and broader platform needs to be developed," Bell said.

"We are pleased to partner with TIAC to move Canada's tourism industry from 'China Ready' to 'China Ambitious,'" said David Goldstein, president and CEO of the DC, adding that this program will help tourism operators make Canada Chinese travellers' number one destination of choice.

China's UnionPay International has joined the CCTA program as a key partner. Pilot projects to be launched in late 2016 include a trade mission to China and an industry bilateral forum with the Shanghai Huangpu Hotel Association hosted in Canada.