Chinese tourists in Canada On The Rise (2025)
Chinese tourism to Canada is booming. With a growing middle class, increased disposable income, and a strong appetite for international travel, Chinese tourists are spending more on luxury experiences, nature-driven adventures, and unique cultural encounters.
For travel businesses, retailers, and hospitality providers, understanding what Chinese tourists love, where they go, and how they consume information is key to capturing this high-spending market. If you’re not using WeChat, Xiaohongshu, and Douyin, or optimizing your digital presence for Baidu and mobile payments, you’re missing out.
What Chinese Tourists Love in Canada
🛍 Luxury Shopping & Local Products – Chinese travelers love to shop, whether it’s high-end brands, Canadian diamonds, local artisan products, or health supplements. Duty-free shops, luxury malls, and unique specialty stores are major draws.
🍁 Iconic Landmarks & Nature – Chinese travelers are drawn to famous national parks, natural wonders, and must-see city landmarks. They also prefer destinations that offer scenic, Instagrammable moments.

🏨 High-Quality Accommodation – They prioritize comfort, luxury, and convenience, often choosing five-star hotels, branded apartments, or resorts. Amenities like Chinese-language services, familiar cuisine, and mobile payment options (WeChat Pay, Alipay) significantly enhance their experience.
🍽 Authentic Food & Culinary Experiences – While Chinese food is always in demand, many travelers love exploring Canadian cuisine, seafood, and fine dining. Restaurants offering personalized dining experiences, exclusive menus, and social media-friendly dishes stand out.

📸 Cultural & Experiential Travel – Modern Chinese tourists want storytelling-driven experiences. Whether it’s exploring Indigenous cultures, French-Canadian history, or unique adventure tours, immersive cultural engagement is a growing trend.
Top 5 Tourist Spots for Chinese Travelers in Canada

🌊 Niagara Falls – A must-visit natural wonder that offers boat tours, helicopter rides, and premium dining with breathtaking views.
🏔 Banff National Park – A dream destination for nature lovers, photography enthusiasts, and outdoor adventurers, featuring stunning turquoise lakes and wildlife encounters.
🏙 Toronto CN Tower & City Landmarks – The most recognized landmark in Canada, alongside luxury shopping at Yorkdale and Bloor Street, Chinatown exploration, and top-tier fine dining.
🏰 Old Quebec – The most “European” city in North America, making it a favorite among travelers who want a romantic, culture-rich getaway.
🌳 Stanley Park & Vancouver’s Scenic Coastline – A mix of urban luxury and natural beauty, perfect for walks, cycling, and premium seafood dining.
Top 5 Cities for Chinese Tourists in Canada
🏙 Vancouver – A major hub due to its direct flight connections, strong Chinese community, and blend of nature and luxury experiences.
🏙 Toronto – The financial and cultural heart of Canada, offering world-class shopping, entertainment, and urban attractions.
🏙 Montreal – A European-style destination loved for its festivals, French charm, and vibrant food scene.
🏙 Quebec City – A top pick for winter travel with stunning Christmas markets, historic charm, and unique cultural experiences.
🏙 Ottawa – The capital city, ideal for historical and museum visits, Canadian heritage tours, and high-end cultural tourism.
How to Use Social Media to Attract Chinese Tourists

📱 1. WeChat: The Ultimate Tourism Super-App
- Set up a WeChat Official Account to share travel itineraries, promotions, and direct booking links.
- Use WeChat Mini-Programs for instant hotel, tour, and restaurant reservations.
- Accept WeChat Pay to make transactions frictionless.
📸 2. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book): Inspire with Travel Content
- Post high-quality images & travel guides to attract independent, experience-driven travelers.
- Encourage past visitors to share user-generated content—word-of-mouth marketing is powerful in China.
- Work with KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) & KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) to create viral, trust-building content.
🎥 3. Douyin (China’s TikTok): Go Viral with Video Marketing
- Create short, visually stunning travel videos featuring Canada’s top attractions, unique experiences, and luxury shopping spots.
- Use popular travel hashtags and trending challenges to boost visibility.
- Partner with Chinese travel influencers to give your destination massive exposure.
🔍 4. Optimize for Baidu SEO & Chinese Travel Platforms
- Build a Mandarin-language website optimized for Baidu (China’s Google).
- Get listed on major Chinese travel booking platforms like Ctrip, Mafengwo, and Fliggy.
- Run Baidu PPC ads targeting high-income Chinese travelers looking for Canadian destinations.
💳 5. Enable Mobile Payments & Seamless Digital Experiences
- Accept WeChat Pay & Alipay to make purchases easy.
- Offer QR codes for instant bookings and promotions.
- Have Mandarin-speaking staff or AI chatbot support to improve the customer experience.
Tourism is a vital part of the Canadian economy
Canada is a beautiful country with many assets such as its beautiful landscapes, diverse culture, and a rich storied history. Canada’s tourism industry truly is world-class and welcomes thousands of tourists from around the world.
Through the New Tourism Vision, the Government is taking action to improve Canadian tourism marketing. the clear goal is increasing the total number of visitors to Canada.
Visas have been increasing from China to about 500,000 per year, but opening more visa offices could help Canada compete for lucrative tourist business. he said: “Chinese tourists are the biggest market in the world and they spend a lot of money. they spend on average $750 US per day on a trip to Canada.
Canada and China have agreed to make 2018 the Year of Canada-China Tourism. Both countries are developing future measures to facilitate the travel flow of tourists and are working on tourism promotion activities in Canada and China, including, for example, the Canada China International Film Festival in beautiful Montréal.
Canada used to be the 2nd most popular destination for Chinese tourists
Vancouver and Toronto are Chinese travelers’ top of their city itineraries, while the Rocky Mountains are the top Canadian landmark to visit.
Chinese Tourists are ready and willing to spend
Chinese tourists also want to see the best of the city including local restaurants, shops and parks.
Chinese Tourists in Canada: How to Attract and Engage This High-Value Market
They search all information about want they really want on Interne. 80% of Chinese use the internet to plan their trips. China has its own popular social media sites such as Wechat or Weibo, and many Western brands are building some pages there.
How your Business should engage with Chinese travelers
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Leads Generation in China
a travel agency specialized in the luxury tourism to France and European countries. They are targeting high class of Chinese Client to travel in Europe, organizing a personal trip. They gave us some missions:
Mission:
- SEO on Baidu
- Backlinks update
- Keywords update
Result:
- Top on Baidu when people search relevant words
- Strong EReputation on the Market
- Good engagement on Forums / social Media
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Online presence
China is the most connected countries in the world, with 750 internet users. They spend practically 40% of their time on Internet. So a website is the first step if you want to reach these potential customers. after the creation of your website, it should follow some sort of a ‘‘protocol’’ so it can be easily found by the Chinese internet users.
Attracting Chinese tourists is not just translating your web site and brochures. you have to make an effort to understand and connect with potential visitors. Knowing even a couple of Chinese words.
more important, you must have a customer service available 24h/24 for replying to any request at any time’’.
Baidu is the leader in China search Engine,with 82% of the search engine market, and more than 750 million mobile search users.it’s impossible to be more visible online in China without Baidu, because all the western search engines such as Google are not available in China. so if your travel agency ranks itself on the first or the second page, it will be very benefit for you.
To be truly successful in China SEO, you’ll need a good understanding of how to optimize for the search giant. Baidu SEO comes with its own unique and complex environment. The first thing of any SEO campaigns should be to determine the most optimal keywords that you should target for your website
Another two things, the process of visibility are internal and external backlinks. it’s important to integrate them on the website, hence, Baidu will raise its trust on you. don’t forget! you have to use PPC (pay-per-click) which is the process of paying in order to rank high on a set of keywords.
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Be interactive with your Leads , Direct message via WeChat
Social Media have a big part in the Chinese lifestyle. the most popular social media in China are WeChat, Weibo, Qzone, Ren Ren and QQ. WeChat is the most used social media in China, with more than 768 million users. Weibo is also populau with 550 users, it is the Chinese twitter. for engaging your customers, you will have to be present on WeChat and Weibo to reach these people by creating an official and verified account.
China also uses different payment systems, including WeChat pay, Alipay and UnionPay. 59% of Chinese travelers to Canada use UnionPay, so if you want to get more traffic, you should offer these types of payment systems.
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Online Reputation
Having a good reputation in China is very very important. that give you more credibility and generate more traffic on your website.
tourism professional need effective online press relation portals to reach their audiences and promote good services. Collaborating with a local marketing agency is the best way to build a strong e-reputation. Being active on forums and blogs such as Douban, Qyer or Mafengwo will give your travel agency a very good image.
The Online reputation campaign management engages the Chinese through their big interest for smartphones and online sales and transactions.
How Canadian Businesses Can Attract Chinese Tourists Using Xiaohongshu, Douyin
Chinese tourists are returning to Canada in massive numbers, and businesses that know how to digitally engage, build trust, and convert leads into paying customers will dominate this market. Forget traditional marketing—this is a social commerce game.
If your business isn’t leveraging Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), Douyin (China’s TikTok), and WeChat, you’re missing out on a multi-billion-dollar opportunity. Let’s break down how to attract, convert, and retain high-spending Chinese tourists using China’s most powerful digital platforms.
1. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book): The Travel Trust Engine
💡 What it is: China’s go-to platform for travel inspiration, user reviews, and recommendations. It’s TripAdvisor, Instagram, and Reddit combined for travel-savvy Chinese consumers.
💰 Why it matters:
✔ 70%+ of Chinese travelers trust user-generated content (UGC) over brand ads.
✔ Posts on Xiaohongshu influence travel decisions before the trip is booked.
✔ Businesses featured on Xiaohongshu get 5X more inbound leads from Chinese travelers.
🎯 How Canadian Businesses Can Use Xiaohongshu:
✅ Encourage user-generated content – Offer discounts or perks to customers who post about your business on Xiaohongshu.
✅ Partner with KOLs (Influencers) & KOCs (Micro-Influencers) – Get real people to talk about your business.
✅ Create visually appealing posts – High-quality travel photos, before-and-after experiences, and hidden gems work best.
✅ Respond to comments & build engagement – The more engagement your post has, the more visibility it gets.
📌 Example: A luxury hotel in Vancouver collaborates with Chinese travel bloggers to showcase VIP room tours, dining experiences, and exclusive services. The post goes viral, leading to a surge in direct bookings from China.
2. Douyin (China’s TikTok): Turn Viral Content into Sales
💡 What it is: China’s #1 short-video platform with over 750 million daily active users—and the go-to app for travel discovery and FOMO-driven purchases.
💰 Why it matters:
✔ 70% of Chinese tourists discover destinations on Douyin before booking a trip.
✔ Short-form travel videos drive immediate engagement & direct conversions.
✔ Live-streaming can generate real-time bookings for tours, hotels, and attractions.
🎯 How Canadian Businesses Can Use Douyin:
✅ Create short travel videos (10-30 sec) showcasing stunning scenery, unique experiences, or exclusive offers.
✅ Use trending hashtags & challenges (e.g., #MustVisitCanada #LuxuryStayInVancouver).
✅ Go live! – Live-stream your hotel, restaurant, or tourist attraction and answer real-time questions from potential visitors.
✅ Work with Douyin influencers to feature your business in their travel vlogs.
📌 Example: A ski resort in Whistler posts a 15-second Douyin video featuring a first-person skiing experience, breathtaking views, and a cozy fireside retreat. The post gets 1M+ views in a week, leading to a direct increase in Chinese bookings.
3. How to Convert Leads into Paying Customers
📌 Chinese tourists don’t book immediately—they research, compare, and seek recommendations before making a decision. The key to converting leads into customers is building trust and making the booking process seamless.
🔥 Step 1: Build Trust & Reputation
✅ Showcase real customer reviews on Xiaohongshu, WeChat, and Baidu.
✅ Feature user-generated content – Encourage past customers to share their experiences.
✅ Respond to comments & messages quickly – Speed = Trust in Chinese tourism marketing.
💡 Pro Tip: 85% of Chinese travelers check online reputation before booking. If your business doesn’t have positive Chinese-language reviews, they will book elsewhere.
🔥 Step 2: Use WeChat for Direct Communication & Sales
💡 What it is: China’s super-app where customers can chat, book services, pay instantly, and follow businesses.
💰 Why it matters:
✔ 90% of Chinese tourists use WeChat daily.
✔ WeChat Mini-Programs can act as a direct booking platform.
✔ WeChat Pay enables seamless transactions.
🎯 How Canadian Businesses Can Use WeChat:
✅ Create a WeChat Official Account to share travel guides, special offers, and direct booking links.
✅ Offer customer service in Mandarin via WeChat Chat to answer questions instantly.
✅ Launch WeChat Mini-Programs for hotel reservations, tour bookings, or restaurant menus.
✅ Enable WeChat Pay & Alipay to simplify payments for Chinese customers.
📌 Example: A high-end restaurant in Toronto sets up a WeChat Mini-Program that allows Chinese tourists to pre-order their meals and pay with WeChat Pay. This increases direct bookings by 60%.
🔥 Step 3: Retarget Your Leads with Content newsletter WeChat
💡 Chinese tourists take their time deciding on a trip, but they DO book—if you keep them engaged.
🎯 How to Keep Your Business on Their Radar:
✅ Use WeChat retargeting ads to show promotions to users who engaged with your content.
✅ Send personalized offers through WeChat messages—exclusive deals work best.
✅ Follow up on Xiaohongshu comments with more details, booking links, or discount codes.
📌 Example: A travel agency in Canada retargets WeChat users who watched their Douyin video, offering an exclusive VIP tour upgrade for bookings made within 48 hours. Conversions increase by 40%.
Would you like to enter into the China Tourism Market ?
you are:
- Tour operator
- Hotel
- Restaurant
- Business owner
Easy steps for success:
- Optimize your Chinese Website
- Online Presence
- Social Media Communication Rednotes
- communication on tourism Platforms
- E-Reputation
we are specialists in the Chinese tourism Market with more than 12 years experience.
- We can help you!
- We guarantee you will get more Chinese tourists by generating more traffic.
- Send us an e-mail if you have a project and our team will be very happy to help achieve your goals.
Hello
My wife and I are the proud owners of a gift shop catered to attract tourists,
the rise of sales has coincided with the increment of Chinese travelers and we are extremely grateful , we would like a couple of tips to improve how tourists perceive us online.
Hey there,
You could try joining traveling forums such as Mafengwo or elong.
But also social media, have your customers talking about you on their favorite platform.
for instance, you could incentivize your customer to follow you on your official pages, or to post about your shop with an instant gift (discount for instance).
hii
Im looking for travel agencies that specialize in travel to north and south america
I live in beijing. thankyou!
Hello there
I own a homemade maple syroup company and we have seen a rise in chinese buyers the last couple of years. its been great for business thankyou very much.
Hey!
Canada has so much to offer , in the business tourism and the natural beauty of the country is unparalleled , I live in Quebec and wouldnt live anywhere else. tourists are welcomed to come anytime.
Canada is beautiful <3
Canada is so beautiful and the culture is very welcoming , its incredible how good it is
love their government as well.
Greetings
I got married in Canada It was the best time of my life, I wish to go back eventually
that country has so much to offer , great place to start a business!!
Hello there
Tourism in Canada rises every year and its great to see
that the Chinese are such a big part of it , thankyou very much for the article , keeo up the grat work.
2024 Canada: Canada appeals for its natural beauty and clean environment for us Chinese 😉 . Popular activities include visiting the Rocky Mountains and French Canada. Like other countries, Canada has improved its appeal by offering more tailored services for Chinese tourists.