Bring on the tourists from China -Niagara is waiting and ready to serve

After an economic freefall, a skittish American public and a volatile loonie battered the local tourism industry, any spot of good news would be welcome.

Enter the Chinese.

More than four years after China declared it would grant Canada approved destination status, the emerging economic superpower finally followed through last week, allowing Canadian tourism operators to tap directly into the market of the world's most populous nation.

Niagara is well positioned to take full advantage of this development.

The spectacle of the Niagara River tumbling over a precipice is a world-renowned tourism magnet.

With Niagara Falls as the anchor, the hotels, restaurants, boutiques, souvenir shops and assorted attractions (insert casino gambling here) soon followed. It has made Niagara one of Canada's premier tourism destinations.

And that doesn't account for the small tourist trade that has sprung up because of the relatively young but rapidly-growing wine industry in Niagara.

China is one of the biggest foreign customers of Canadian icewine, which is a staple of the local wine industry. The opportunity for growth in wine tourism is tremendous.

By the law of averages, anything that grows the number of people visiting Canada will invariably have a positive impact on the local tourism trade.

By allowing Canada approved destination status, the Chinese government has all but assured there will be more Chinese people coming to visit our country.

The Conference Board of Canada is predicting the number of Chinese tourists visiting Canada will jump 50% in the next five years.

While Niagara is in a good position to take advantage of this new opportunity, nothing will come to the region easily.

Niagara has a message and products to sell, and it is incumbent that message reach the right sets of eyes and ears, namely those of the 1.3 billion Chinese residents.

Chinese tourists are reputed to be big spenders with luxurious tastes, seeking fine hotels, food, wines and attractions.

Niagara has an abundance of these. Niagara's public officials and private

tourism operators must be aggressive so we can welcome a new wave of tourists with open arms.