Approved Designation Status
The recent announcement that Canada has received Approved Designation Status (ADS) from the People’s Republic of China is welcome news for heritage tourism in B.C.
Previously, marketing organizations like the Canadian Tourism Commission were unable to promote directly to Chinese consumers. Now with ADS, the CTC will implement a robust action plan to leverage the growing interest of Chinese travelers to Canada, many of whom are eager to know more about the history of the Chinese in B.C.
The timing couldn’t have been better for Barkerville’s CEO, Judy Campbell, who, with curator Bill Quackenbush, made a trip in November to Guangdong Province. Accompanied by Canadian Senator Lillian (Quan) Dyck and Overseas Exchange Association of Guangdong Province director Lily Chow, the two Barkerville staff members were returning a visit by a Chinese delegation to Barkerville in 2006.
The focus of their trip was research aimed at better understanding Barkerville’s extraordinary collection of Chinese archival records, photographs, and artifacts – many of which were brought to British Columbia by early immigrants from Guangdong Province.
“The people of Guangdong Province still feel incredibly connected to those ancestors who left China in the late19th and early 20th centuries,” said Campbell upon her return to Barkerville.
According to curator Bill Quackenbush, many 21st century Chinese families possess a sincere desire to know more about the life and times of those ancestors who made the long and often arduous journey to the Cariboo goldfields more than a hundred years ago. This growing interest from modern Chinese travelers looking to reconnect with their Overseas Chinese roots makes Barkerville an invaluable asset to British Columbia’s further development as Canada’s Pacific Gateway.
“Barkerville is poised to play an important role in any future trade, investment, and tourism opportunities that arise from Canada’s new agreement with China on Approved Destination Status”, said Campbell. A recent survey by the Conference Board of Canada suggests ADS will boost the yearly rate of travel to Canada from China by up to 50 percent by 2015.
Photo: www.waterscapesproject.ca
