GVDA 2012
2012
A Successful Delegation to China In 2012, The Greater Victoria Development Agency (GVDA) led a delegation to China that included City of Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin and a number of industry representatives from throughout the region. China is an important and relevant partner to Victoria because of our community’s existing cultural and business ties. The delegation, which visited six cities in 10 days, was a resounding success. The trip supported major economic development for immigration, cultural exchange, tourism and education in Greater Victoria. Some highlights include:
Immigration
Tourism
Over 50% of all investment inquiries received by the Greater Victoria Development Agency come from China. With a large number of small business owners in Greater Victoria planning to retire in the coming years, immigrants represent a real opportunity for the region. Throughout the mission, immigration consultants met with dozens of clients to inform them of opportunities.
Meetings took place with over 50 tour operators responsible for promoting tour packages to Canada. These meetings furthered existing relationships to include Greater Victoria in their promotional activities – such as using Weibo (China’s version of Twitter) and Ren Ren (China’s version of Facebook). New meetings also prompted interest in Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island as destinations from a market that is experiencing 40% increases in outbound tourism. This is a direct win for the region.
Under the Provincial Nominee Program, a minimum investment of $200,000 is required to qualify. Additionally, the investment must lead to at least one full time job for an existing Canadian citizen. This means for every five immigrant investors achieved during this mission, an immediate $1.1 million is injected into the local economy.
Cultural Exchange The Department of International Exchange in Changsha plans to develop a 50-student summer cultural exchange program with Greater Victoria. The initial investment from Changsha would include $100,000 for travel, accommodation, and other expenses.
Education International students’ impact on Greater Victoria’s economy exceeds $3 billion per year making it a significant local industry. Every dollar invested in educational institutions more than triples its impact to the local economy. The delegation enabled Sooke School District #62 to launch a program for 50 students from Changsha’s Mingde School to attend various schools in the Sooke district next year, which is expected to bring an economic impact of $1.8 million per year and $9.7 million over five years as the program increases to include 20 more students.