Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a warm welcome to American tourists, inviting them to experience Chinese culture, meet locals, and explore beautiful landscapes during the 14th China-US Tourism Leadership Summit in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. The summit, themed “Expanding China-US Travel and Tourism and People-to-People Exchanges,” highlighted the shared enthusiasm for collaboration, evident in the enthusiastic participation of 400 representatives from both countries. US President Joe Biden emphasized the vital role of travel and tourism in building stronger ties between the two nations. In a speech, Todd Davidson, board chair of Brand USA, expressed hope and optimism for the future of China-US tourism cooperation, anticipating a significant increase in Chinese visitor numbers to the US.
Xi Jinping stressed that tourism is a crucial bridge for exchanges and mutual understanding between the people of China and the US. He warmly welcomed American tourists to visit China, meet Chinese friends, experience Chinese culture, visit beautiful landscapes, and experience the real China. Xi expressed hope that all walks of life in both countries would seize this opportunity to engage in in-depth exchanges, build consensus, and take active actions to promote personnel exchanges through tourism cooperation. He emphasized the importance of continuing the China-US friendship with cultural and people-to-people exchanges and helping the San Francisco vision turn into reality.
The summit showcased the enthusiasm for boosting cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Brigham Young University students sang the Chinese song “Jasmine,” while Shaanxi students performed “Moon River,” highlighting the familiarity and appreciation of music between the two cultures. Rowena E Minott, CEO of Unlimited Connections, a Florida-based travel agency, expressed her admiration for Chinese culture and the rich history of Xi’an. Grant Harris, assistant secretary for industry and analysis of the US Department of Commerce, forecasted a 150% increase in Chinese visitation to the US from 2023 to 2025.
Chinese and US industry players expressed optimism about tourism growth, with Chinese tourist bookings to the US surging by 200% in the first five months of 2024. However, Chinese officials and experts urged Washington to remove travel obstacles, including visa restrictions on Chinese nationals, to fully unlock the potential of tourism cooperation. Facilitating tourism and cultural exchanges would result in win-win cooperation, fostering economic gains and dispelling misunderstandings amid global challenges, according to Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University. China has taken effective steps to simplify visa applications for foreigners and promote the facilitation of payments, said Zhang Zheng, deputy minister of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, emphasized the strong willingness for cooperation and massive potential in areas such as tourism. Despite intensified competition between the two countries, Zhou noted the complementary demands in both markets and the potential for cooperation to increase as the bilateral economic link becomes more intertwined. In the tourism sector, the US industry heavily relies on Chinese visitors. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 3 million Chinese tourists visited the US annually, spending $33 billion. Restoring Chinese visitation to 2019 levels would add over 50,000 direct American jobs and an estimated 400,000 American jobs when considering indirect jobs and Chinese students studying in the US.
