With Chinese citizens now allowed to enter the U.S. for the purpose of group leisure travel, Valley tourism officials are hoping to get a share of the new market. The Los Angeles tourism industry is bracing itself for a spike in the number of Chinese tourists. That development could result in a jump of 65,000 visitors to Los Angeles and a $44 million jump in visitor spending here. “When you start thinking about those numbers, you can see the potential and why we’re so excited,” said Mark Liberman, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau (LA Inc.). Liberman believes that Los Angeles is poised to monopolize Chinese travel into the United States. At present, the city is the most desired destination in the U.S. for Chinese travelers, he said. “We get more Chinese visitors than any other location or city. This is very, very important for us.” The city also has an advantage over others because Los Angeles International Airport is the only U.S. airport serviced by all three national Chinese airlines. Moreover, in 2006, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and convention bureau representatives opened the first city tourism office in China. “We’re the only city today that has their own representative selling and marketing in tourism,” Liberman said. “We have three employees that work for us, spreading the word about Los Angeles. We’ve established relationships in China with tour operators and operations here in Los Angeles.” Liberman said that, a few years ago, the convention bureau began to see the potential in Chinese tourism to the U.S. With an estimated 176 million Chinese who have the means to travel internationally, LA Inc. representatives felt that opening an office in China was an opportunity not to miss. “In the next five years, 50 million more additional people will have the means to travel,” Liberman said. “I believe in the next five to 10 years, the Chinese will be the No. 1 overseas visitors to Los Angeles.” <!– Chinese family meets America’s favorite family before riding the all-new Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. –> Chinese family meets America’s favorite family before riding the all-new Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. Thomas See, vice president of sales for Universal Studios Hollywood, is also excited about the potential that Chinese travel offers. See said that he would be pleased if Los Angeles managed to draw even 1 percent of the more than 100 million outbound visitors from China. “It would be a very large impact,” he said. “It could be pretty astronomical.” The week of June 23, Universal Studios helped welcome the first group of Chinese leisure travelers to Los Angeles. The group of 300 also traveled to tourist hotspots such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Getty. “We’re seeing that everybody is gearing up for this influx of Chinese travelers,” said Carol Martinez, associate vice president of media relations for LA Inc. “We’re really working with a lot of different businesses about what interests this market has, what type of experiences they want to have.” In light of the agreement that allows the Chinese to engage in group leisure travel, Universal Studios is planning to engage in dialogue with Chinese visitors (and others) as to how the theme park can make its attractions more enjoyable to diverse groups. They have already begun to offer tours in Mandarin and are reaching out to employees to identify those among the workforce who speak that language. Lastly, Universal has developed a traditional studio map in Mandarin. “It is an exciting time for Los Angeles as well as for Universal Studios Hollywood being one of the primary attractions,” See said about the development in Chinese group leisure travel. “When you look at the Chinese and their love for movies, there’s no other place for travel within the U.S. where you see movies come to life.” Overall, Liberman feels that the Chinese aren’t much different from other tourists to Los Angeles. In addition to getting acquainted with the city, they want to shop and visit attractions. “They want to see everything,” Liberman said. “They’ve seen so much on the Internet and in movies. Now, they want to touch and feel it. That’s why we’re the number one city they want to come to.” While, the Chinese are also interested in visiting other major U.S. cities, See believes Los Angeles has an edge because of its relationships with a wide range of tour operators. Also, “Los Angeles is closer to China from a transportation standpoint,” See said. While Universal Studios is arguably the Valley’s most popular tourist spot, Jay Aldrich of the San Fernando Valley Convention and Visitors’ Bureau believes the area has other selling points to visitors from all nations. “We have the new CSUN Performing Arts Center coming online next year, so there will be a number of performances that will be geared towards international markets. And, of course, you have Warner Bros. out here also. All that packaging it’s all linked,” Aldrich said. To raise awareness about its offerings, the San Fernando Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau will send out data and information about destinations and hotels located in the Valley. Because the Valley has what Aldrich describes as more budget-minded hotels, he believes that the area has an edge over Los Angeles proper in terms of drawing in tourists. Bert Seneca, general manager of Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn in North Hollywood, said his hotel already receives a fair number of foreign travelers. Now that the Chinese are permitted to travel to the States for group leisure travel, Seneca said, “We basically see it as another market that’s opening up for us.” Seneca believes Chinese tourism will help balance any impact that might occur if European and Japanese tourism declines due to changes in the global economy. “You get to play one market against the other,” he said. “That’s what the biggest opportunity for myself and all hotels will be.”
