(Yicai Global) June 28 -- China has become the largest tourism source market after the US for Canada, which shows the success of eased visa conditions, lucrative trade, and an increased interest for Canadian schooling. But this will not be enough, according to the North American country's minister.

China replaced the UK in the tourism statistics in the first quarter of this year, Bardish Chagger, Canada's minister of small business and tourism said in an interview with Yicai Global. "Canada's goal is to double the number of Chinese tourists to the country by 2021."

Chagger led a delegation of representatives from over 20 tourism firms and public agencies in a six-day visit to China from June 23-28.

Some 131,000 Chinese people visited Canada in the first quarter, up 26 percent compared with the same period last year, Canadian government's preliminary estimates show.

China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, as well as the largest and fastest-growing source of international students. The number of Chinese tourists to the country spiked following the introduction of a 10-year multiple entry visa in 2015. The success rate for all Chinese citizens' visa applications stands at 89 percent.

The expected growth in tourism creates economic opportunities for more than 200,000 small businesses and some 1.8 million people working in related businesses in Canada, Chagger said. In 2016, Chinese consumers spent an estimate CAD1.5 billion in Canada, which is more than their foreign counterparts.

The growing number of tourists will be met with more Chinese services. The Tourism Industry Association of Canada has struck a deal with Alipay and WeChat Pay, so more Canadian businesses will start to accept these payment methods, Chagger added.

Editor: Emmi Laine