XI'AN,
China, May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand
USA, the destination marketing
organization for the United
States, joined by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the
People's Republic of China, hosted the 14th U.S.–China
Tourism Leadership Summit in Xi'an,
China, from May 21-23, 2024.
The event brought together government and travel industry leaders
from the United States and
China to foster the return of
Chinese visitors to the United
States.
Brand USA President and CEO
Chris Thompson highlighted the
significance of the return of Chinese travelers for the U.S.
tourism economy, "The return of Chinese visitors is critical for
the U.S. tourism industry and essential for the full recovery of
our economy. The 14th U.S.–China Tourism Leadership Summit plays a
crucial role in revitalizing this vital market segment."
"Travel and tourism supports 9.5 million American jobs," said
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis Grant T.
Harris. "The U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit provided an
important opportunity to further the Department of Commerce's
mission to enhance the international competitiveness of the U.S.
travel and tourism industry. Through our participation, we hope to
see more Chinese visitors experience the
United States, which will support jobs and economic growth
in communities across the country."
The summit laid the groundwork for enhanced relations between
the United States and China within the travel industry, encouraging
collaboration among key stakeholders and charting a path forward
for the future of tourism between the world's two largest
economies. This three-day event, occurring for the first time since
2019, facilitated deeper insights into conducting business within
the Chinese tourism market while providing opportunities for
forging new connections with influential decision-makers.
The U.S. delegation was led by U.S. Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Industry and Analysis Grant Harris along with Brand
USA's President and CEO
Chris Thompson. The 75-person
contingent also included high-level leaders from across the U.S.
government as well as prominent tourism organizations from across
the USA. The delegation included
representation from the following organizations: Destination DC,
Destination Niagara USA, Discover
Puerto Rico, Guam Visitors Bureau, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hilton
Worldwide, International Inbound Travel Association, Los Angeles
Tourism & Convention Board, Marriott International, Mastercard,
New York City Tourism + Conventions, San Francisco Travel
Association, Travel Oregon, Travel South USA, U.S. Travel
Association, Visa, Visit California, Visit San Diego, and Visit
Seattle.
"The 14th U.S.—China Tourism Leadership Summit marked a
significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen the tourism
bridge between our two nations. The insights and collaborations
developed during this event were essential for fostering mutual
understanding and economic growth. It is great to have restarted
the summit and be back in this market after six years as we reunite
with our colleagues from the Chinese government and travel
industry," said Todd Davidson,
President and CEO of Travel Oregon and chair of the Brand
USA board of directors.
The Chinese delegation was led by State Councilor Yiquin Shen,
Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sun Yeli, and Shaanxi Party Secretary, Zhao
Yide.
On May 21, Brand USA organized a market immersion day to orient
U.S. travel industry leaders on China's business environment and macroeconomic
outlook, consumer insights, trends in travel and media, and federal
policy updates. This education session also brought the delegation
together with the founders and leaders of many of the primary
Chinese travel and social media channels.
The joint Plenary Day on May 22
began with an opening ceremony featuring speeches from Sun Yeli, Minister of Culture and Tourism of
the People's Republic of China
(PRC), and Grant Harris, Assistant
Secretary for Industry & Analysis, who also read congratulatory
letters from PRC President Xi Jinping and U.S. President
Joseph R. Biden. Keynote speeches
from industry leaders Chris
Nassetta, President & CEO of Hilton Worldwide, and
Chris Clark, Chairman for
Asia Pacific at Visa Inc., set the
stage for bilateral panel discussions on the future of tourism
between China and the United States. More than 25 memoranda of
understanding to deepen cooperation and increase travel flows were
signed between U.S. and Chinese corporate and destination marketing
entities.
The Chinese tourism market is significant for the global travel
industry. Prior to the pandemic, China was a top-five market for visitors to
the United States and the top
source of international traveler spending. In 2019, nearly 80
million visitors to the U.S. spent about $235 billion, with 3 million Chinese visitors
contributing $35 billion. These
export revenues create quality U.S. jobs, support public services,
and contribute to a positive balance of trade.
There are promising signs of recovery for Chinese visitation to
the United States. Weekly flights
from China are forecast to
increase to 140 by the end of the year, compared to 65 in
January 2024. To capitalize on this
lucrative market and build the long-term future of the
international visitor economy, this month Brand USA launched a high-profile consumer marketing
campaign called "Experience It All", showcasing the diverse
attractions and experiences the USA offers Chinese travelers. The campaign
will run during peak travel planning months for Chinese travelers
and will be on a variety of trip planning, social media, and online
travel agency platforms including Xiaohongshu [RED], Ctrip, Fliggy,
Douyin, and a mini-program on WeChat.
About the 14th U.S.–China Tourism
Leadership Summit
The 14th U.S.–China Tourism
Leadership Summit reunites government and travel industry leaders
from the United States and
China. The summit provides a
platform for participants to develop and strengthen relationships,
discuss key issues and best practices, and ultimately drive more
travel between the United States
and China. The summit will set the
stage for the future of relations between the United States and China in the travel industry. Jointly produced
by Brand USA and China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism,
summit locations alternate each year between China and the United
States.
About Brand USA
Brand
USA, the destination marketing
organization for the United
States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the
nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel
destination and to communicate U.S. travel policies and procedures
to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase
international visitation to the United
States in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the
image of the United States
worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010,
the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. According to studies by Oxford Economics,
over the past ten years Brand USA's marketing initiatives have helped
welcome 8 million incremental visitors to the United States, benefiting the U.S. economy
with more than $58 billion in total
economic impact and supporting, on average, more than 37,000
incremental jobs a year.
For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com or follow
us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X/Twitter. To discover
more about the USA and the
boundless diversity of American travel experiences and authentic,
rich culture, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com;
follow Visit The USA
on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram; and watch travel
shows on GoUSATV.
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SOURCE Brand USA