Chinese tourists favor Arizona this year, surpassing the total number of European tourists

Chinese tourists favor Arizona this year, surpassing the total number of European tourists. China will overtake Europe by the end of this year and become the third largest source of international tourists to Arizona in the United States. Arizona…

China will surpass Europe by the end of this year and become the third largest source of international tourists in Arizona, USA.

The Arizona Tourism Office said that Mexico and Canada are the top two countries with the most tourists to the state. However, the number of Chinese tourists last year was nearly 77,000, an increase of 20% from the previous year. The number of Chinese tourists has continued to rise over the past seven years, and this year, for the first time, Chinese tourists will surpass the total number of European tourists.

The strong US dollar has led to fewer foreign tourists, especially those from Europe. However, China is a notable exception, with Arizona becoming a growing hotspot for Chinese tourists.

Office representative Dowling said that the Chinese market is very resilient and does not react strongly to currency issues. From an economic perspective, China's development is very good, and its middle class is growing very fast.

Johnson, the office's executive chairman, attributes the growth in part to the national branding program, which is funded through private donations and fees levied by the federal government on international visitors under the Visa Waiver Program.

In addition to federal support, Arizona has had tourism and trade representatives stationed in China for the past four years. Johnson said the state government knows China is an important market.

Arizona is also known as the Grand Canyon State. Tourism Office spokesman Scott? #37011; En pointed out that the Chinese are active followers of social media. When relatives and friends post photos of themselves at the Grand Canyon on social media, people who see them will also want to travel here.

Dowling said northern Arizona has always attracted a large number of Chinese tourists, but the difference now is that Chinese tourists can stay longer and spend more throughout the state.

Dunn also pointed to the economic benefits to Arizona of attracting Chinese tourists. He said the Chinese were shopping like crazy. Not only does it help retailers selling goods, but it also helps state and local governments collect taxes.

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Chinese tourists spent $27 billion in the United States in 2015. A study done by the Arizona Office of Tourism shows that 43 million U.S. and international visitors spent $21.1 million in Arizona in 2016, an increase of one percentage point from the previous year. If you exclude the factor of lower fuel prices, tourists' spending on food, entertainment, entertainment and accommodation actually increased by at least three percent from the previous year.

Arizona’s next four-year promotion plan will not ignore international visitors because they visit and stay longer than domestic visitors.

There may be a weakness in the Arizona tourism office's promotional plan. This summer's record-breaking high temperatures made the Phoenix airport unable to take off, making it a hot news item. However, Johnson said that being delayed for a few minutes due to hot weather should be better than being stranded in ice and snow.