A Richmond tour operator says he’s experiencing a downturn in business due to rising political tensions between China and Canada.
“It’s really slow now — really slow,” said Richard Zhang of CCVIP Travel.
Zhang says with the Lunar New Year just around the corner, his staff should be fully occupied but, this year, he’s only booked about half the number of tour groups compared to last year.
“Last year, so many people come to visit Canada,” said Zhang who has been in business since 2009. “This year, not many.”
He blames the decline on the diplomatic battle that’s brewing between Canada and China — the primary source of his customers.
Ever since Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested while in Vancouver in December of 2018, he says tourists from that country have seemed less keen on visiting.
He says he’s even had to reassure potential customers who were worried they could be arrested while in Canada, after seeing images of Zhou in court.
“We just say, ‘no. No way of that,'” says Zhang with a shake of his head.
