US tourism organizations and businesses are replacing the billions of dollars in Chinese tourist spending with other markets.
“How do you replace that spending?” said NYC Tourism + Conventions CEO and President Fred DIxon. “We’re relying on some of our really strong markets where we have a lot of strength like Brazil.”
Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists spent USD 35 billion in 2019, making them the largest tourism market in terms of spend, said Brand USA CEO and President Chris Thompson.
For LA and New York, China was among the top spenders. “In 2019, it was our number one market in terms of total spend,” said LA Tourism CEO and President Adam Burke.
In New York City, Chinese tourists spent an average USD 3,000 in 2019, which was 60% higher than the average for all international visitors, according to the New York State Government.
Replacing this market will be difficult. “Any market that had a significant number of Chinese visitors right now, they’d be hard-pressed to find a way to recover that market as far as overall spend,” said Thompson.
San Francisco Travel CEO and President Joe D’Alessandro earlier this year said SF is looking to India as a replacement for China’s absence and cited enhanced air connectivity has a key reason.
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