Canada hopes to acquire placement on ADS list

TORONTO, Canada: The Canadian government is hopeful it will soon be able to conclude an agreement initiated four years ago with China that will greatly increase the number of Chinese tourists allowed into the country.

In early 2005, China tentatively agreed to grant Canada Approved Destination Status (ADS), a bilateral agreement that will allow the Canadian tourism industry to actively market travel opportunities in China and permit Chinese travel agents to advertise travel packages to Canada.

Since then, however, a final agreement still has not been reached, despite the fact that more than 90 other countries - including the US - have achieved the ADS designation. Talks between Canada and China became bogged down amid signals that Canada's government was distancing itself from China. Few trade missions were launched and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper publicly criticized China over human rights issues.