China Office Update
Brand USA’s 2019 China Sales Mission Deemed a Huge Success
Nearly 30 U.S. partners joined Brand USA for its 2019 China Sales Mission which brought them together with the Chinese travel trade and media.
The mission – held March 17-22 in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu – included U.S. partners from destinations, attractions, airlines, airport, car rental companies, shopping destinations and receptive tour operators. They showcased their newest products.
“The 30 U.S. travel partners joined the mission this year, affirming their interest and confidence in China market,” said Christopher Thompson, Brand USA’s president and CEO. “We currently have offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. Our success in China is dependent upon strong collaborative relationships with our partners in China. Brand USA and its U.S. partners are very committed to China and we value the partnership. We welcome more Chinese visitors coming to the U.S.A.”
At the sales mission, Brand USA announced its Official B2B WeChat Account – gousaofficial - and Brand USA’s USA Discovery Program on WeChat. The destination marketing organization encourages travel trade partners to follow Brand USA’s B2B WeChat, register the USA Discover Program, and become a USA Specialist.
Brand USA also organized the second China MegaFam, which brought 50 Chinese outbound tour operators and travel agents to the United States in November. They traveled to five different itineraries to experience those destinations firsthand. That will allow them to develop new U.S. tour itineraries and products for visitors from China.
In 2018, Brand USA China organized roadshows and training sessions not only in the first-tier markets of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, but also promoted travel to the U.S. in the second-tier cities of Kunming, Chongqing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Harbin, Qingdao, and Jinan.
Considered an important market for Brand USA, China is the fifth source market for travel to the United States, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. With over 3.17 million Chinese visiting the United States in 2017, that country is the largest source of international tourism spending in the United States, bringing $35.3 billion in travel exports to the U.S. in 2017.
Brand USA travel partners who joined the China sales mission included: Alaska Skylar Travel LLC; America Int'l Travel Services Inc.; American Airlines; Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau; Choose Chicago; Cupertino Hotel & Grand Hotel Silicon Valley; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport; Dista Group; Experience Kissimmee; Great Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau; Hertz Car Rental; Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority; Leisure Pass Group; Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board; Mall of America; Marianas Visitors Authority; Pegasus Transportation; Reno Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority; South Dakota Department of Tourism; Travel Nevada; Travel Oregon; Tualatin Valley Washington County Visitors Association; United Airlines; Visit California; and VISIT FLORIDA.
