Visas for China in Canada
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Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
While it may be because overseas Chinese are going back to China, this report suggests their was a spike in visa applications around the time of the Games.
Games market the country
by Jim Kernaghan, SUN MEDIA
Yes, confirms Eugene Tian, things are pretty busy around the People's Republic Of China Embassy in Ottawa.
For one thing, the 80 or so employees have been handling an increasing number of requests for visas. Since the Beijing Olympic Games have been flooding the media, tourism interest has been skyrocketing.
At the same time, embassy workers have been following the Games intently on the internet.
"Everyone has been very excited and proud," the Embassy spokesperson told Sun Media. "We try to keep a balance (between work and watching the Olympics). We've been very busy, too. Requests for visas have been growing day by day. There will be much tourism for China."
And much of many other things.
Tourism spikes following every Olympic Games but it appears it will skyrocket for the world's most populous nation. The Games focus also has lit a fire in the sports industry and there are signs sports in its entirety will feel the impact globally.
Take basketball. The National Basketball Association is the most-watched sport in China with a reported 450 million viewers, especially of games involving Houston Rockets star Yao Ming, China's flag-bearer for the opening ceremonies.
Numbers tend to get exaggerated but it is said 300 million people play basketball in China. Whatever the case, the numbers are large enough for NBA China to have opened two stores with 500 to 1,000 in the planning stages. Some 50,000 other stores are licensed to carry NBA goods.
The Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers played an exhibition game in Shanghai last year and there are pre-season games being worked out for this fall. There's no question, judging by the crowd reaction to the Olympic basketball tournament, it's big.
But everything has become bigger in China.
Beijing's economic growth (it was an incredible 12.35% from 2003 to 2006) is well-documented.
Wages have increased tremendously and along with them, property values. Relatively unknown is the fact a number of the world's wealthiest people have bought a Beijing address.
The Olympic Games is a factor in the growing commercial giant and nowhere is it more obvious than in the sports industry. Have a look at the familiar three-stripe Adidas.
The official sportswear partner of the Games has 4,500 stores in China and is adding two stores a day, seven days a week. Remember the former gymnast who did the faux run around the top of the Bird's Nest to light the torch? He has a sports equipment company himself and can't keep up with demand.
As one marketer said "I don't think there ever has been an Olympic Games with the impact that these games will have on the country."
Or on their representatives abroad. They're also pretty busy at the Ottawa embassy and equally excited.
"Speaking personally, the number of gold medals won by China exceeded my expectations," Tian said. "I think performing in front of a home crowd helped. Canada is doing very well," he added, diplomatically.
The former Beijing resident says the massive new infrastructure there, especially the roads, has left even locals confused at times. That will put visitors on the same playing field. There'll be a lot of them.
"When all the fans and athletes return home, they'll be telling about their experiences," Tian projected. "I think that will make us even busier with visa applications at the embassy."
The old song A Slow Boat To China hardly has any relevance today.
http://winnipegsun.com/Sports/Beijing2008/2008/08/22/pf-6538961.html
