Orange County has joined with other California tourism promoters in a bid to win business from the growing Chinese travel market.
Last year, the National Tour Association signed an agreement with China to facilitate Chinese group leisure travel here.
As an outgrowth of that agreement, the California Travel & Tourism Commission recently established a tourism office in Guangzhou, which is the capital city of Guangdong, China, and plans to add others in Beijing and Shanghai. The offices will be paid for by existing assessments on Califor-nia tourism businesses.
California previously had two trade offices in China, which were closed in 2004.
“There are 100 million Chinese who want to come to Southern California,” said Ann Gallaugher, vice president of tourism development for the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau.
Last year, 46 million people traveled outside of China and about half of them spent at least a few days in Southern California. This year, that number is expected to climb by 9%.
That’s welcome news to local hotels and attractions, which have seen the number of international tourists and business travelers decline in the recession. International travelers to the U.S. dropped 8% in January alone.
Chinese tour operators say the typical Chinese traveler is affluent, spending about $4,000 per person on each trip.
John Lu, president of Glendale-based Best of USA Marketing Production, which brings groups from China to the U.S., said Southern California is far behind other countries in targeting this market.
New Efforts
The U.S. participated for the first time in the four-day Guangzhou International Travel Fair, which attracted 200 travel-related ex-hibitors from 40 countries.
Almost every state was represented, but California may have an edge with this market since it has the largest Chinese population in the U.S., including affluent communities in Puente Hills and Diamond Bar. That community attracts Chinese visitors.
The Anaheim Visitors and Conference Bur-eau and its partners are working to educate local tourist businesses about the Chinese market and its potential.
In March, the Anaheim visitors bureau partnered with other tourism offices, hotels and attractions to host the Southern California-China Tourism Business Oppor-tunity Conference at Pacific Palms in the City of Industry.
The conference focused on the demographics of the Chinese traveler and cultural preferences that tourist venues should address in order to attract them.
“They look at affordability and good food” when they come to California, said Mei Mei Huff, senior vice president of the Pacific Palms Resort.
They also want simple comforts such as authentic Chinese food available at every meal, chop sticks and hot water for tea in their hotel rooms. Additionally, they prefer to take tours during their first visit and want to shop for big name brands made in the U.S.
David Yu, general manager of Shanghai Spring Travel, said people from mainland China buy gifts for their close friends when they travel and want to make sure they’re buying something unique to the place they’re visiting,not something made in China.
“They love Costco, outlets and big malls,” Yu said.
South Coast Plaza,which has catered to affluent Japanese travelers,has broadened that reach by taking part in a trade mission to China to acquaint tour operators with the shopping mall.
Local attractions are in the fray as well.
Nicky Tang, Asia Pacific sales director for Disney Destinations Sales, said Walt Disney Co. has found that promotions such as educational seminars about a destination at Chinese consulates and familiarization tours for Chinese travel agents help to assuage travelers’ concerns.
Visas
There’s one area where destinations can’t assist: visas.
Though rules have been relaxed in the past year, Yu said the process is still onerous in the eyes of the Chinese. Some are repeatedly denied visas, while others are offended by the new requirement for a full set of fingerprints from all visa applicants.
“That’s an insult in the Chinese culture,” Yu said.
One group of 100 travelers Yu planned to bring to California decided not to come because of that requirement, he said.
Despite those challenges, many see attracting visitors from China as a way to stave off losses during the recession.
“Increasing travel to the U.S. is the most efficient form of economic stimulus,” said Roger Dow, president and chief executive of the U.S. Travel Association.
