Approved Destination Status:
On December 3, 2009, Prime Minister Harper announced that the Government of China granted Canada Approved Destination Status (ADS). ADS allows marketing activities in China to promote a particular country as a tourist destination, and allows for the organisation of group travel to that country from China.
On June 24, 2010, Canada and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate outbound tourist group travel from China to Canada.
Group travel by Chinese tourists is organized by travel agencies designated by the National Tourism Administration of China (CNTA) in partnership with a Canadian tour operator accredited by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC.)
CNTA estimates the first ADS tour groups will be ready to go to Canada by mid-August.
For a list of designated tour agents in China, please consult the CNTA website (http://en.cnta.gov.cn/TravelInChina/Forms/TravelInChina/TravelAgencies.aspx - You would need to read Chinese in order to use this link!).
Group tour visa applications will be submitted by a CNTA-designated travel agent to a Canadian Visa Application Centre (VAC) in China. Canada has VACs located in 4 cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
ADS group tourists will receive a single entry Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) valid for 6 months.
Please view the procedures for applying for a Temporary Resident Visa to visit Canada as a tourist.