MONTRÉAL, May 11, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Tourisme Montréal yesterday offered its BONJOUR CHINE training program to more than 150 partners and members of Montréal’s tourism industry. This program teaches participants how to effectively welcome Chinese tourists and cater to their preferences in an effort to encourage these visitors to prolong their stay and tour other regions of Québec. BONJOUR CHINE is part of Tourisme Montréal’s broader strategy to enrich the visitor experience by enhancing the overall quality of tourist hospitality in the city.

Newly offered by Tourisme Montréal, the program will help position Montréal as a leading destination for Chinese visitors by ensuring quality hospitality in the city. “This certification enables us to rise to the occasion and fulfill our role as the official port of entry to Québec. We plan to collaborate with key tourism associations within Québec and offer this training to their members,” said Yves Lalumière, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal.

Through the program, participants will gain a better understanding of the Chinese market, which has grown substantially in the past few years, and learn how to adapt their customer service to their needs. According to estimates, some 124,000 Chinese tourists visited Montréal in 2017. This number is expected to rise 15% in 2018 to 142,200, followed by increases of 13% in 2019 and 12% in 2020.¹ Thanks to direct air connections and promotional initiatives, China is set to become the second most important overseas market for Montréal within the next five years.

This one-day training event was made possible through support from OTT Pay, which offers Chinese mobile payment services WeChat Pay and Alipay in Montréal.

About Tourisme Montréal
Tourisme Montréal is a private, non-profit organization that works to position Montréal as an international-calibre leisure and business travel destination. The organization leads innovative tourist welcome strategies with a twofold objective: ensuring that visitors enjoy a quality experience and maximizing the economic benefits of tourism. Uniting more than 800 tourism professionals, Tourisme Montréal plays a leading role in the management and development of Montréal’s tourism business, and makes recommendations on issues surrounding the city’s economic, urban and cultural development.