Natural wonderland

Swiss ski resorts bounce back

"Canada has some of the best skiing in the world, especially in British Columbia and Alberta," says Derek Galpin, managing director for China of the Canadian Tourism Commission. "We've seen a growing trend in China - people wanting to ski, learning to ski - in fact, we've just done a number of promotions with the Nanshan ski resort just about an hour outside Beijing."

Many people in China have seen the TV show Canada, You Can Be A Star, he notes. "We just sent two very good Chinese skiers to Alberta in December, and those programs are being shown on the Travel Channel this month - right now."

And while the Northwest Territories are seductively remote, getting there is quite easy.

"There were 82 weekly flights to Canada in 2013," says Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques. Air Canada and several Chinese airlines offer direct flights to Vancouver from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu - and from Vancouver there are many flights to Yellowknife and to popular ski areas in the region.

In fact, you can fly to Vancouver and then explore three mountains that are maybe only a half an hour from the center of Vancouver.

"You can be shopping at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on Robson Street, the main shopping street in Vancouver, and by 3:45 you can be skiing!" says Galpin.