The Duke of York opened British Columbia's Trade and Investment Office for Europe in London today. His Royal Highness was joined by the Lt.-Gov. for British Columbia, the Honourable Judith Guichon, at an opening reception hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner, Gordon Campbell.

The new Trade and Investment Office, co-located with an existing Tourism Division team in central London, will further strengthen British Columbia's traditionally strong and economically vital ties with the European Union in general and the United Kingdom in particular. The EU represents Canada's second-largest trading partner in goods and services and is one of British Columbia's strongest markets for investment, trade and tourism, offering unique opportunities for our companies.

"I am extremely pleased to support the trade effort that goes on between the U.K. and Canada and particularly B.C. - and particularly that the West Coast intends to develop its relationship with the U.K.," the Duke said. His Royal Highness also announced that he plans to visit the province in May of this year.

Opening and expanding international markets for the province's goods and services is one of the pillars of 'Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan'. The government has now met its Jobs Plan commitment to double its international presence to accelerate trade and direct foreign investment.

The London trade office will be headed by Susan Haird, British Columbia's European trade and investment representative. She has a proven record of investment attraction and trade promotion, having developed deep networks in business and government over a public-service career spanning 35 years, most recently as the deputy chief executive of United Kingdom Trade and Investment.

Susan and her team of sector specialists - based in the United Kingdom, France and Germany with language skills that include French, German, Italian and Spanish - will work to attract investment into B.C., help connect B.C. companies with new markets and trade opportunities throughout Europe, and foster innovation and education partnerships.

Quote:

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Pat Bell -

"British Columbia, with our abundant natural resources, major planned liquefied natural gas development, and companies at the leading edge of clean technology, is a natural trade and investment partner for European countries. Our international network promotes British Columbia as a stable and attractive destination for investment, tourists and international students, creating jobs here at home to support B.C. families."

Quick Facts:

• The European Union is the largest trading bloc in the world, with a combined GDP of $17 trillion and a population of 500 million in 27 member nations.

• Since the BC Jobs Plan was released in September 2011, British Columbia's international network has grown from 29 people to almost 60, based in priority markets across Asia, Europe and the United States.

• The Province has nine trade and investment representatives (TIRs) based in Japan, Korea, India, East China, North China, South China, Hong Kong, Europe and the United States. The TIRs are trade and investment experts who oversee 13-plus offices and points of service.

• With expansion through fiscal year 2012-13, expenditures on the TIR network are forecast to be roughly $8.3 million. With the doubling fully complete, the budget is expected to increase to approximately $9.8 million.

• The expanded trade and investment operation for Europe is co-located with representatives from the Tourism Division of the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training at 1 Great Cumberland Place in central London.

• Tourism Division representatives identify trends and opportunities for B.C. tourism businesses in key international markets. They work with tour operators to introduce new products and develop targeted joint campaigns to increase visitor volume and revenue and to expand geographic distribution of European tourists.

• The United Kingdom was B.C.'s and Canada's second-largest international tourism market in terms of visitors passing through customs checkpoints in 2011. The U.K. accounted for 44 per cent of B.C.'s European visitors and 30 per cent of Canada's European market share in 2011.

Learn More:

To find out more about the TIRs, visit: http://www.britishcolumbia.ca

Check the Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/#!/bctradeinvest @BCTradeInvest

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799