NTA recently hosted members in San Diego for its China Market Forum, a series of seminars focused on the opportunities and challenges within the growing Chinese market.
“The seminars were packed with information to help us get started,” said Katrina White, a travel trade manager for Visit Rhode Island, who attended two sessions. “In fact, I have asked Haybina Hao at NTA to present the seminars to my hotels, attractions and regional tourism offices on the travel habits of the Chinese inbound market and their expectations so that we can develop product accordingly.”
Leaders of the sessions included Yaping Xue, director of the China National Tourism Office; Isabel Hill, deputy director for policy and planning with the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries; and NTA members knowledgeable about the China market.
“The China Forum was very informative and beneficial,” said Phil Otterson, president of Abercrombie & Kent. “My company is deeply involved in the Chinese inbound market, and NTA’s cutting-edge knowledge and expertise about this market is one of the reasons that we have just become the association’s newest tour operator member.”
During the first five months of 2012, Chinese visitation to the U.S. increased 43 percent over 2011, a year when Chinese arrivals rose 36 percent over the previous year and topped 1 million for the first time, according to the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industr
