Ready, Set, Expo!

Earlier this week I had a chance to visit the Shanghai Expo. The Expo opened on May 1st and will be closing this Sunday October 31. On Tuesday, my wife and I arrived at the Expo grounds at 800am. The Expo opens at 9am and the pavilions open at 930am. One would think by arriving this early we would be one of the first ones there. By the time we arrived at one of the many entrance gates at the park, there were about 1000-1500 people in front of us, with 99.5% of the crowd being Chinese.

When the gates opened at 930am there was a mad dash to be first in line at the Expo’s most popular pavilions. People were not briskly walking but they were running. Running fast! Babies in strollers were being raced by their mothers. Seniors in their wheelchairs were yelling at their attendants to go faster.

Within 20 minutes, the most popular pavilions had already had long line ups. The China, Japan and Saudi Arabia pavilions had 4 hour lineups controlled by the China Military Police. UK, USA and Germany had lines of 3 hours. Needless to say we did not go into any of the above. We did manage to see about 8 pavilions including the Cirque du Soleil designed Canada Pavilion. (Show your Canadian passport and bypass the 2 hour line). By late afternoon, our feet were sore and heads were ringing so we decided to call it a day and treat ourselves to a 90 minute massage for less $30. Now that’s more my pace of life.

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

Shanghai Expo, here I come.

So next week I am off to China. My first stop will be the Shanghai Expo. The weather is supposed to be good with temperatures from 16c to 24c. Last week there were 970,000 visitors at Expo and the local media was advising people do not go to the Expo after 3pm. Lovely. While I am there, attendance numbers of over a million visitors per day is expected as the Expo closes forever on October 31.

With numbers like this it has to be a World record. Based on feedback from clients and tour operators I only plan to visit two pavilions. The Caribbean Pavilion and the Canada Pavilion.

There is no line for the Canada Pavilion if you bring your passport with you. So I am hoping to say hi to the flag, have some poutine, and call it a day.

I will let you know how it went next week.

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

We’re Number One. Again!

For the fifth time in six years, Vancouver, home of Chinapac International’s head office, has been named the “Best City in the Americas” in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards survey. Americas is defined as Canada, Central and South America.

With its beauty, mountains, ocean, skyline, clean air, abundance of trees, out of the ordinary architecture, and its 4 seasons of outdoor fun, how could anyone resist?

Recommended a Vancouver stopover to the next client you send to Asia! Although the taxes may vary, airlines usually do not charge extra for a YVR layover.

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

Living out of a suitcase. Must be trade show time.

Today I am in Canada's Big Smoke, Toronto wrapping up my Eastern Canada Addison Shows. This week I have already been to Ottawa, London and Montreal, I am looking forward to finishing today's show and then heading home to have some turkey with the family.

The shows have been quite successful for Chinapac as we have been introducing our new Eat Pray Bali products to the Canadian marketplace

8 Day Eat Pray Love In Bali a great but yet affordable package for those that enjoy beaches, food, cycling and yoga. Its lush beauty makes Ubud the ultimate location for amour; yet a lesser-known attraction of this mountain town is its accomplished culinary scene, Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love comes to the big screen, filmgoers will be treated to the breathtaking visuals of the “Love” setting: Ubud, Bali.

16 Day Eat Pray Cruise Clients visit Singapore, Bali, Malaysia and Thailand. Aboard the luxurious 5-Star Super Star Virgo, enjoy delicious Asian Cuisine, live entertainment and Spa services.

The response so far to these tours has been quite enthusiastic and I am sure we will be seeing a spike in our Bali tours this winter. For clients that are looking for something different this winter, I would put Bali high on that list.

Well it is almost lunch time so off to Dundas Square to soak up some of Toronto's warm concrete ambience.

See you tonight!

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

China National Day that Lasts a Week

Tomorrow will celebrate the beginning of the National Day of the People's Republic of China. This holiday is celebrated every year on October 1 and lasts for a week.
During this time most businesses and offices are closed. In addition, the Canadian and American China Consulate will also be closed. During this time visa applications will not be accepted.

Travelers in China can expect extreme traffic, long lineups (especially for the Shanghai Expo) and massive crowds at popular sightseeing locations such as Tian An Men Square. So if you have clients in China right now and they did not book with Chinapac, I wish them luck.

Chinapac’s next group departure, the 16 Day 5-star China Tour& Yangtze Special China, arrives in Beijing on October 10, avoiding the travel woes that many North American tourist face during this holiday.