Consumers

Easing of US Visas for Chinese Travelers Heralds a Business Boom

by

Avery Booker | November 19, 2014

Last year, 1.8 million Chinese nationals visited the US and spent some $21 billion, explains Avery Booker of China Luxury Advisors

New York City

Last week, US President Obama announced the signing of a reciprocal visa agreement with China that will increase the validity of short-term tourist and business visas from one to ten years, and student and exchange visas from one to five years.

For tourists and businesspeople that regularly travel between China and the US – and the businesses that serve them — the agreement has been hailed as a positive step in US-China relations.

Given the growing economic ties between the two countries, these moves are something of a no-brainer. China remains the world’s fastest-growing outbound tourism market, and one of the ten most important for the US.

Last year, 1.8 million Chinese nationals visited the US and spent some $21 billion, in the process supporting an estimated 109,000 American jobs. By 2021, these figures are expected to balloon to 7.3 million Chinese travelers spending $85 billion annually and supporting up to 440,000 US jobs.

“ 1.8 million Chinese nationals visited the US in 2013, spending $21 billion ”

Although the US remains near the top of the list of Chinese tourists’ most-desired international travel destinations, only around 2 percent of outbound Chinese travelers visit the US each year.

According to surveys of Chinese outbound travelers, ease of obtaining visas is a leading factor in deciding which countries to visit, making a supportive US visa policy key in remaining competitive with global travel markets such as the EU, Japan, and South Korea.

The new agreement is also a boon for Chinese international students in the United States, and the universities and businesses that cater to them. Currently, Chinese students account for nearly 30 percent of all foreign students in the US, and this group has become an important consumer demographic, having spent an estimated $8 billion last year – a 24 percent increase over 2012.

Overall, this new agreement is a positive step for tourists, students, retailers, and tourist destinations alike – good for business in the US and in China. But more specifically, we expect the moves to build on the following trends:

“ Only around 2% of outbound Chinese travelers visit the US each year ”

The US will see more repeat Chinese tourists: The significant lengthening of tourist visas from one year to ten years will make it even easier for Chinese tourists to plan repeat trips back to the US. This will result in a growing number of experienced tourists who are more likely to travel individually, rather than on Chinese tour groups.

These repeat visitors will be more sophisticated and naturally seek out unique experiences off the typical Chinese tourist track.

Chinese students will remain important influencers: With student visas extended to five years from the current one year, students will be able to become even more integrated into the local communities — and will exert enhanced influence over travel and shopping decisions.

This trend cuts both ways, as well: the new visa rules will allow both Chinese and American students to travel back and forth with greater ease than ever before, encouraging more American students to opt for China as a destination for studying abroad, and building greater people-to-people ties.

“ A growing number of experienced Chinese tourists will be more likely to travel individually ”

Chinese investment in the United States will continue to grow: Regardless of industry – whether it’s real estate, movie deals, or natural resources – investment from China (and trade between the US and China) continues to grow year-over-year.

The relaxed visa process will make it easier than ever for businesspeople to travel between China and the US, incentivizing Chinese investors in particular to lay down partial roots in the US. (Supporting jobs, boosting business, and nurturing deeper ties.)

Given this exciting new landscape, tourism destinations and retailers should consider the following strategies to capture the opportunity:

“ Chinese consumers are becoming very savvy and are constantly searching for compelling content ”

1. Increase focus on individual travelers: While it was once enough to simply target Chinese tour groups, destinations and retailers need to expand their thinking to actively and directly target individual Chinese consumers. Since it is far from easy to generate impact in this very crowded and expensive market, destinations need to think creatively and launch unique and compelling campaigns that hit the right target market.

2. Invest in CRM: Destinations need to think of tourists not as only one-time visitors, but as extremely valuable relationships to foster over the long term. Destinations should be looking to WeChat and other methods to cultivate these relationships that build repeat visits while generating valuable word of mouth referrals.

3. Content is King: Chinese consumers are becoming very savvy and are constantly searching for compelling content. They are no longer as willing to simply view static advertisements – they want to learn about and engage with your brand as a global, educated consumer.

With the right strategies and insight into the motivations and habits of China’s outbound traveler, student, or businessperson, American retailers, brands, hoteliers and tourist destinations can ensure these new extended visas are put to good use – on numerous repeat visits by loyal customers.

To further investigate the traveling Chinese luxury consumer on Luxury Society, we invite your to explore the related materials as follows:

- 90% of Traveling Chinese Luxury Shoppers Plan Purchases Before Trip
- Travel Retail: A Sixth Continent With 1 Billion Consumers
- Which Brands & Destinations Are Chinese Travellers Searching For?

China | Travel