In response to President Obama‘s announcement regardingCommerce Secretary Gary Locke‘s nomination as U.S. Ambassador to China, Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said the nomination could aid the travel industry’s access to China’s market. Consular resources are not keeping pace with demand, Dow says.
“The nomination of Gary Locke as the U.S. ambassador to China presents a tremendous opportunity to advance travel-related issues involving a lucrative export market to improve the American economy and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs,” Dow said.
“As Secretary of Commerce, he has been a …

YABULI, CHINA — Take a fast-emerging middle class with money to spend. Add improving transport links. Mix in with fewer travel curbs and favorable official policies.
The result? A boom in domestic and outbound Chinese tourism. The same holds true for Asia as a whole.
“There is huge growth to come,” said Nicolas Berbigier, chief executive of Xanadu, a travel agency in Beijing.
“Chinese consumers are finding it a lot more interesting to travel. They’re finding it a lot easier. The yuan is expected to rise in value. Visa restrictions are diminishing every …

A patron wearing a Mickey Mouse hat walks in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Walt Disney Co’s Disneyland amusement park in Anaheim, California. The number of Chinese tourists to the US is set to pass the 1 million mark by the end of this year. (Photo: China Daily)
Thousands of Chinese tourists will spend the Christmas holiday period in the United States this year.
New York City, California, and Hawaii are among the more popular destinations as organizations such as United Airlines, Disneyland Park in California, the California Travel and Tourism …

Colombia and China on Wednesday signed a “memorandum of understanding,” which the Andean nation hopes will encourage the arrival of more Chinese tourists to its shores.
The agreement, which was signed in Peking, makes Colombia an approved tourist destination for Chinese citizens and facilitate the entry of Chinese tourists into the country.
Although there are still obstacles in the way of maximizing the benefits from the agreement, such as no direct air link between the countries, Luis Guillermo Plata, the Colombian minister of commerce, industry and tourism predicted a “boost” in tourism.
“Colombia …

The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced that starting on June 17, 2008, Chinese leisure travelers may travel to the United States in group tours under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by both countries. CNTA Chairman Shao Qiwei will lead the inaugural Chinese tour group on June 17 to Washington, D.C.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez said: “This MOU opens China’s growing market to U.S. travel and tourism industries. Now, more Chinese visitors can experience America’s hospitality, cultural diversity, and natural beauty. Increased …