United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Are Chinese tourists ripe for US group travel?
US tour operators looking hungrily at the expected boom in Chinese tourism are seeing some small signs that American policy-makers will start embracing foreign visitors with a lot more enthusiasm.
Chinese tour operators say American cities such as New York and San Francisco top the list of places tourists want to visit. But promoting tours to the US is banned in China. The country is not among Beijing’s approved travel destinations.
The reason why is not hard to find: Washington’s restrictive entry process.
Surveys show foreigners overwhelmingly view the US as the worst place in the world to obtain a visa.
“But as pressure grows on Washington to ease up on visa rules tightened after the 2001 terrorist attacks, American and Chinese tour companies see signs of hope that many of the millions of wanderlust-driven Chinese will head for the United States,” wrote the Los Angeles Times.
An estimated 300,000 Chinese visited the US last year, spending about $1.5 billion.
Most Chinese prefer to sign up with tour groups because of language and costs. With that route currently closed, many are touring the US on business, student, family-visit or individual tourist visas, but these are often hard to get, reports the newspaper.
Forty percent of 2,011 overseas travelers said they had tried to get a U.S. visa but gave up, according to a survey by the lobbying group Discover America Partnership. Many Chinese believe that they are subjected to especially tough security and financial scrutiny by US officials.
But various lobbying groups say that attitude may be changing, in part because of the huge trade deficit that the US has with China.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel