Prototype of
Vancouver
2010 Olympic torch presented to international torchbearers in
China
, one of Canadian Tourism Commission's key global markets
VANCOUVER
,
Dec. 4
/CNW/ - Spreading the spirit of the 2010 Winter Games in
China
, Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
presented the Olympic Torch to Olympic speed-skating medallist Ye Qiaobo in
Beijing
today. Ye Qiabo is one of 14 international torchbearers chosen by the
Vancouver
Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) in collaboration with Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). They were joined by fellow Olympic speed-skating medallist
Yang Yang
who recently returned from
Canada
after completing her own leg of the
Vancouver
2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of
Canada
.
The torch presentation was held at the Canadian International School where 400 young students were delighted to meet the famous Chinese athletes and Prime Minister Harper, as well as see the Olympic Torch and play with the Olympic and Paralympic mascots.
Ye Qiaobo and
Yang Yang
were chosen as torchbearers to help capture the attention and imagination of their devoted fans and followers in
China
. Through this program, well-known international sports and entertainment personalities from CTC global markets participate as torchbearers in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay in spots across
Canada
.
Ye Qiaobo is scheduled to run
January 25th, 2010
through Osoyoos, the southern most community of Canada's renowned Okanagan Valley, British Columbia.
Yang Yang
ran her leg of the relay in Summerside,
Prince Edward Island
on
November 22nd, 2009
.
"We're thrilled to have two such inspiring Chinese athletes take part in the relay as representatives of one of the CTC's key global markets," said
Derek Galpin
, CTC Managing Director,
China
and
India
. "Both have exceptional athletic records and embody the spirit of the Games."
China
is the world's fastest-growing outbound tourism market. By 2020, the World Tourism Organization is projecting
China
will have 100 million international travellers, making it the largest outbound tourism market in the world. There were some 158, 800 overnight trips to
Canada
from
China
in 2008, a 5.3 per cent increase over 2007. Since 2006, overnight travel from
China
to
Canada
has grown over 30 per cent.
Links to additional resources:
Photograph: http://mediacentre.canada.travel/system/files/content/media_release/torch_beijing/torch_beijing_1.jpg
Prime Minster
Stephen Harper
meets with Olympic speed-skating medalists Ye Qiaobo and
Yang Yang
in
Beijing
to celebrate their participation in the
Vancouver
2010 Olympic Torch Relay. They were joined at the Canadian International School by students who were delighted to meet the Olympic and Paralympic mascots, see the Olympic torch and meet the Prime Minster and the Chinese athletes.
Profile: (
Yang Yang
) http://mediacentre.canada.travel/system/files/yang_yang_en.pdf
Profile: (Ye Qiaobo) http://mediacentre.canada.travel/system/files/ye_qiaobo_en.pdf
Backgrounder (2010 Olympic Torch Relay International Media Program): http://mediacentre.canada.travel/system/files/backgrounder_torch_relay_en.pdf
Backgrounder (
China
as a Key Market for
Canada
): http://mediacentre.canada.travel/system/files/china_backgrounder_en.pdf
About the CTC
The CTC is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. Our vision is inspiring the world to explore
Canada
. With our partners in the tourism industry and the governments of
Canada
, the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market
Canada
in 12 countries around the world, conduct industry research and studies, and promote product and industry development. For regular updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail.
For further information: Jitka Licenik, Corporate Communications Advisor, Canadian Tourism Commission, Tel: (604) 638-2482, Fax: (604) 638-8438, [email protected], www.mediacentre.canada.travel
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