A new report suggests the number of Chinese tourists visiting the US annually could surge to as much as 6.5 million by the end of the decade.
Aviation industry consultancy Boyd Group International released its first Airports:China Traffic Forecast which says the coming tourism boom is not just confined to main international gateways.
"With nonstop flights to US gateways from more Chinese cities, an increasing share of visitors will start their US visit itinerary by connecting on to an interior airport," said company president Michael Boyd in a statement.
"This segment has already discovered places like the Thousand Islands, Moab, The French Quarter, and Yosemite, and this can be a traffic boon for more mid-size airports across the US that develop aggressive China-outreach strategies."
The report cites United Airlines’ ambitious expansion plans in China and its partnership with Air China as a driver of more traffic from second tier markets in China.
United has recently announced plans for flights to the cities of Xi’an and Hangzhou.
The Boyd report says it is critical for US airports and destinations to have a ‘China-ready’ digital presence to compete effectively for more Chinese travelers.
"The determinant in where this traffic will visit depends on how U.S. communities and airports prepare for the unique characteristics of the Chinese traveler, and how well they aggressively engage in projecting their ‘brand’ within China," Boyd said.
