well this will help fill the seats of the Chinese airlines flying into YVR, when (if?) complete. Need to confirm if it has actually started:
China-backed Nanaimo hotel plans for 70,000 guests a year
BIV Wed Aug 27, 2014
Quote:
The China-based backers of a new Nanaimo hotel say that the 240-room tower will draw 70,000 Chinese tourists a year – equal to about 90% of the population of the Vancouver Island city....
...SSS Manhao International Tourism Group, a subsidiary of Suzhou Youth Travel Services Co. Ltd., a major Chinese tourism and travel company, broke ground on the hotel project in mid-August....
...The $50 million, 21-storey luxury development will have a restaurant on the top floor overlooking Nanaimo Harbour, according to the developer. The new hotel is located directly next to the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. An overhead pedestrian walkway will connect it to the conference centre...
...Suzhou Youth Travel Services will fill its hotel with guests who otherwise would not visit Nanaimo, said Nanaimo Economic Development Corp. CEO Sasha Angus.
Suzhou puts approximately 14.6 million customers each year on planes across the world, Angus said, adding the hotel “will provide a significant stimulus for the local economy.”
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In 2013 BC saw 204,000 direct customs entries from China (out of a total of 350,000 to Canada). The Chinese were just less than 5% of all international visitors to BC in 2013, so lots of room for more growth.