Coming to America: Chinese Travelers to the U.S. Continues to Grow

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, the number of Chinese tourists traveling the globe increases significantly, making them the largest group of travelers in the world. Now, thanks in part to a recent agreement between the U.S. and China to extend visas for short-term business travelers, tourists and students, the U.S. could see an increase in Chinese travelers in the near future.

This trend is supported by research from the latest Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) from Hotels.com® which reveals the U.S. is the second most popular destination for Chinese travelers to visit in the next 12 months (behind France), with popular U.S. landmarks like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty topping travel wish lists.

The CITM research also identifies that, while cities in Asia Pacific remain the most popular (82 percent of Chinese travelers have visited in the past 12 months), visitors to Europe and America have increased with a year over year growth of 25 percent and 11 percent, respectively. These destinations were particularly popular with millennial travelers, with 42 percent visiting Europe and 29 percent visiting America in the past 12 months.

According to the CITM, the Top U.S. Destinations for Chinese Travelers along with hotel suggestions are:

1. Hawaii

• Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows
• 4.5 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
• From $293 per night*

2. New York

• Roxy Hotel Tribeca
• 4.4 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
• From $208 per night*

3. Los Angeles

• The LINE Hotel
• 4.1 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
• From $199 per night*

4. Las Vegas

• The Signature at MGM Grand
• 4.5 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
• From $84 per night*

5. Seattle

• Hotel Andra
• 4.6 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
• From $224 per night*

6. San Francisco

• Argonaut Hotel
• 4.5 out of 5 guest review rating on Hotels.com
• From $275 per night*

All of these properties and many more can be booked via the Hotels.com mobile app, available on iOS and Android.

"The CITM reveals that the United States is one of the top five countries Chinese travelers visit the most," said Josh Belkin, vice president and GM of the Hotels.com brand. "With tens of thousands of places to stay across the U.S., like distinctive boutiques, spacious vacation rentals and familiar chains, our site and mobile app have the perfect places for Chinese travelers of all ages and lifestyles."

In 2016, there were 122 million outbound Chinese tourists¹ – four percent more than in 2015 and a massive 74 percent more than in 2011, when we published the first CITM. China is already the largest source of international travelers for many countries – despite the fact only 10 percent of the population had passports in 2016²!

More information from the 2017 CITM, including detailed research findings on the five Chinese traveler personas and top ranked amenities can be accessed here.

About the research

The Hotels.com Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) analyses research taken directly from both Chinese international travellers and hoteliers worldwide, combined with Hotels.com own proprietary data and other research.

For the travelers' survey, Hotels.com used Ipsos, a world leader in market research, which in April and May 2017 conducted interviews with 3,000 Chinese residents, aged 18–57 years, who had traveled overseas in the past 12 months. A Computer-assisted Web Interviewing technology was used. The representative sample consisted of men and women from a number of cities in all tiers.

The travelers were asked about travel behavior, booking methods, accommodation choices and many other aspects of their travel.

To complement this, Hotels.com carried out a global survey of more than 3,800 Hotels.com hotel partners, also during May 2017. The 38 participating countries were Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA and Vietnam.

About Hotels.com

Hotels.com L.P. operates Hotels.com, a leading online accommodation booking website with properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Customers get instant savings ** with Secret Prices through our mobile booking app and when logged into the booking website. Hotels.com Rewards members can earn and redeem free*** nights at thousands of properties worldwide. The Hotels.com Mobile Concierge on iPhone is like having a local expert in the palm of your hand, offering fast access to services such as transportation, on-demand food delivery, restaurant reservations and activities.

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¹ China National Tourism Administration
² China National Tourism Administration

SOURCE Hotels.com