Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander is expanding the Chinese Transit Program that allows eligible Chinese travellers to transit visa-free through Toronto Airport and Vancouver Airport when they are en route to and from the U.S.
Five departure points are being added to the program, including, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang and Harbin. The addition of these points is expected to add more routes to Canada by letting Chinese travellers to choose Toronto and Vancouver as transit hubs. The passengers transiting through Vancouver and Toronto are expected to increase revenue for airlines, airports and retailers through landing fees and spending by travellers. Further, this program is expected to attract more businesses to Canada and ensure that Canadian airlines remain competitive in the global market.