Tag Archives: California Travel and Tourism Commission

Average Chinese Tourist Spends $6,000 per California Visit

wealthy Chinese - Shanghai Travelers ClubAccording to the California Travel and Tourism Commission, Chinese tourists’ average spending of $6,000 per person during a trip to the US is the highest in the world. Wide selections of designer’s bags and shoes drive Chinese to California on shopping sprees. A 7,000-member Chinese tour group traveled to California last summer, and each member spent $10,000 on average during their one-week stay.
The biggest driver of this growth appears to have been the visa policy approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama in 2009. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November 2014, the two leaders agreed to extend tourist visas to 10 years and student visas to five years.
Following the November agreement, U.S. consulates in China have recorded a 68 percent increase in visa issuance, indicating a spectacular increase in the plans for Chinese to visit the U.S. in the future, with most coming at least initially to California.
At the fall 2014 “Visit California Outlook Forum” attended by over 500 California tourism industry professionals at La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs, experts predicted that Chinese visitors will spend $2.2 billion in California in 2015 and 2016.
The China Daily reported that Kathryn Smits of International Tourism at the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board told the Forum that airline service between China and California major gateways of Los Angeles and San Francisco has increased 44 percent.
Chinese airlines have added new direct flights from Los Angeles to cities in China or plan to add flights due to the availability of Chinese-language services to assist travelers. In July, Air China will add a third daily direct flight from Los-Angeles and Beijing and China Eastern Airlines will start direct service to Hefei, in southeast China. Both airlines credit the relaxed visa policy for accelerating growth. Famous Chinese luxury travel magazines, such as the Shanghai Travelers’ Club magazine, publish more content about California as it’s seen as a U.S. “premium” destination for wealthy Chinese.
Gervois magazine - The new travel magazine for millennials travelers in the United StatesThe Beverly Hills Visitor Center commented that more than half of the premier stores in Beverly Hills now employ Mandarin Chinese-speaking salespersons. Most stores in Beverly Hills stores accept China’s Union Pay credit card. Five-star Beverly Hills hotels now feature Chinese-style breakfasts and house slippers year round. The Visitor Center also provides shopping maps and discount coupons printed in Chinese.
Well-heeled Chinese tourists seem to like what they have seen on their visits to the Golden State. Southern California real estate agent Le Yuan told the China Daily that he had seen a double-digit increase in clients this January. Many Chinese clients can fly here to see the houses and neighborhood,” Le said. “Travel is just so easy.”

Source: Breitbart

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More Chinese tourists in California

The statistics released by the California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) shows the number of tourists to California from Chinese mainland has witnessed a rapid increase in recent years and they preferred to shopping during the travel.

Caroline Beteta, chief executive of the CTTC, said there are some 250,000 to 300,000 Chinese mainland tourists to California every year and the number saw a double-digit growth rate. It is expected such growth will keep in the coming five years.

The CTTC opened tourism promoting offices in Shanghai and Beijing one year ago, said Caroline, and China is the world’s fastest-growing country in the number of outbound tourists.

In addition, Carol Martinez, spokesperson from Los Angeles Convention and Visitor Authority said Chinese mainland is the Los Angeles’ important tourism market and many tourism attractions in the city have set up Chinese boarding service.

Pierre Gervois, CEO of China Elite Focus, a Destination Marketing agency based in Shanghai, said that “The new generation of Chinese tourists coming to California is interested in shopping, Golf, and more and more by wine tourism. California wine is a big asset for the state”.

Kathryn Smits, director of Beverly Hill Conference and Visitors Authority said she contacted many Chinese tourists and their consumption is characterized by shopping.

“They prefer to buy expensive luxury goods, but they also like to buy some useful items, such as vitamin tablets, and others,” said Kathryn.

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