TORONTO — Toronto has won the bid to host the largest Chinese travel delegation to visit Canada, bringing an estimated 10,000 visitors and $80 million in spending to the city. Amway China and their top distributors will be in Toronto for its Leadership Seminar in 2020.
Tourism Toronto has been actively developing the bid over the past five years, with strong support from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. The announcement was made shortly after the Amway leadership team met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Beijing.
“Toronto was competing with some of the biggest destinations in the world for the Amway China bid, and we’re thrilled to have been selected,” says Johanne Bélanger, president and CEO of Tourism Toronto. “Toronto’s tourism industry is thriving, especially from overseas markets like China — and that benefits the city, the province and all of the businesses in the visitor economy.”
More than 321,000 Chinese travellers are projected to visit Toronto in 2017 — a 77-per-cent increase over a five-year span. In 2017, it’s forecast that Chinese visitors will spend $306 million, the first time the total spend has topped $300 million — the highest total from an overseas market.
“2020 will mark the 25th Anniversary Year for Amway China, and we’re thrilled to celebrate that milestone in Toronto,” says Angela Keung, VP of Sales, Amway Greater China Region. “Not only is Toronto an exceptional destination that is situated close to the Amway headquarters, this is also the first time a destination is working with us on our incentive plan — an exciting collaboration for both Toronto and Amway China.”
“Attracting large travel groups like Amway China in 2020, showcases the long-term sustainability of Toronto as a top destination, and speaks volumes about Toronto’s strength as a global force in the tourism industry,” adds Bélanger.