From left: YVR Airport Authority president Craig Richmond; McArthurGlen development director Gary Bond; Musqueam elder Mary Charles, event host; Alice Wong, Canadian Member of Parliament; Teresa Wat, BC minister of international trade; and Malcom Brodie, mayor of Richmond, attend the opening ceremony of the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet on July 9. YAXIN LIU / CHINA DAILY

Hoping to attract tourists from China and the world over, British Columbia’s first designer outlet mall celebrated its grand opening in Richmond on July 9.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport is a joint venture between McArthurGlen, a European developer and manager of designer outlets, and Vancouver Airport Authority, a community-based nonprofit that operates Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Alice Wong, Canadian Member of Parliament; Teresa Wat, BC’s minister of international trade; Malcom Brodie, mayor of Richmond; Musqueam elder Mary Charles; YVR Airport Authority president Craig Richmond and property general manager Robert Thurlow; McArthurGlen development director Gary Bond and hundreds of shoppers gathered for the launch.

“After years of planning and construction, it’s very exciting to welcome the community to McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport,” said Mayor Richmond. “Not only will the centre become a key tourism destination in our region, it’s also important to YVR’s role as a key economic driver. Through the designer outlet, we are creating jobs and a valuable source of non-aeronautical revenue that helps YVR keep its airline costs low while delivering an exceptional airport experience.”

As a growing hub and gateway connecting Asia Pacific to the Americas, YVR is the second-busiest airport in Canada, connecting people and businesses to more than 110 non-stop destinations worldwide. In 2014, it served more than 19 million passengers, many from the Chinese mainland.

According to Destination Canada, arrivals from China have risen 20 percent since 2014, making China Canada’s second-largest overseas market.

In 2010, Canada was granted approved destination status by China, which allows the Canada Tourism Commission and travel trade to actively market Canada directly to Chinese consumers.

In its latest official research, Canada was voted second-highest in Chinese outbound tourist satisfaction in the fourth quarter of 2014. Many Chinese are drawn to the tourist attractions and ski resorts in British Columbia, making Vancouver an increasingly popular destination.

Tourism has created many job opportunities for locals in British Columbia, and also strengthened the relationship between China and Canada in both the economic and cultural sectors.

“The opening of our new centre marks a great day for Richmond and for the Lower Mainland,” said property general manager Rob Thurlow. “Not only are we opening a new and exciting destination, offering some of the best-loved names in fashion, we are also initially creating 600 new jobs at the centre, with further jobs created indirectly in the community, particularly in the tourism sector.”