U.S. tourism industry to attract more long-haul Chinese visitors: marketing expert

NEW YORK, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tourism operators are building out programs for longer-staying Chinese visitors who, instead of just shopping, tend to have a deeper experience of American culture and society, said a senior marketing expert.

"The numbers of Chinese visitors keeps growing. They are certainly becoming far more sophisticated travelers," Tom Garzilli, chief marketing officer of Brand USA, an organization dedicated to marketing the United States as a premier travel destination, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"I think the initial interest of the Chinese tourists was to come here and shop. Over time they really got to see and learn that there's so many more experiences that they can have," Garzilli said.

"There's a lot more information available to Chinese tourists, opening up an opportunity for them to have a much deeper, broader experience when they come," he added.

According to Brand USA, China has become the number one market for U.S. travel and tourism exports and is its largest market in terms of spending. In 2016, almost 3 million Chinese people visited the United States, compared with less than 400,000 in 2007, and spent 33 billion U.S. dollars.

Garzilli said his organization is set to launch a new 3D documentary film about American music which he believes will be well received by Chinese audiences.

Narrated by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, "America's Musical Journey" follows Grammy Award-nominated singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc as he traces the roots of American music and follows the footsteps of Louis Armstrong through the colorful locales and cultures where America's music was born.

Brand USA's first film, "America Wild: National Parks Adventure" garnered one million views in October last year on Youku, a Chinese YouTube-like service platform, just four months after its digital debut. Enditem