As Chinese tourists' willingness to travel abroad rebounds, the United States has reemerged as one of their key destinations. According to the 2024 National Day Holiday Travel Trend Report from China's Tongcheng Travel Group, there has been a surge in long-haul travel bookings, with the United States ranking high among the preferred destinations. The world-famous San Francisco in the United States remains a perennial favorite. "It's one famous city in the United States. I think it's very important for our children, for their experience," said Cam Li, a tourist from China. "After the COVID-19 pandemic, all kinds of travel have reopened, so we decided to come together. Now, both the visa and travel process are much more convenient," said Wu Yiting, a tourist from Shanghai. The influx of Chinese tourists is making positive impact for local economy, bringing new business opportunities and development momentum. "I definitely see the tourists coming back from China. Whether they be coming as tourists for fun or business, tourism. Most of the time, when the tourists come through, they are in families. They're coming single, solo. But what I am seeing is that business groups are coming through delegations," said Darlene Chiu Bryant, executive director of GlobalSF, a San Francisco non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating global access for local businesses. While the number of Chinese visitors has not yet reached the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, Chiu Bryant has noticed an increase in travelers from places beyond China's best developed cities. "We're seeing people coming from Suzhou, people coming from Guangxi. We do see people coming from tier two cities and even tier three. Having the Chinese tourists are important to the city. We have a huge restaurant sector here, and we want them to continue to thrive. And Chinese tourism does help with that," said Chiu Bryant. Another top destination in California is Silicon Valley, the home to many tech giants. "They love that they're at Silicon Valley. Right? They get to see Facebook, Meta, and Google. And actually see what is going on with AI now, because that is definitely the biggest buzz. And, San Francisco being the center of innovation, they do want to be here," said Chiu Bryant. Parents and schools are also bringing children to visit the renowned tech companies as part of study tours, allowing the children to have fun while experiencing global technology development firsthand. "We will visit some universities like Stanford here and some very famous companies, IBM, Google, technology companies, and know some information about the latest AI development," said Scarlett Yang, a tourist.
United States back to be key destination for Chinese tourists
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
