At the 14th China-US Tourism Leadership Summit in Xi’an, the president of New York City Tourism and Conventions, Fred Dixon, expressed optimism about revitalizing Chinese tourism to New York City. Speaking with Wang Siwen, Dixon highlighted the city’s efforts to welcome back Chinese visitors and strengthen ties with Chinese cities.
“The Chinese market is very important,” Dixon emphasized. “We’ve been active in the market since 2007, and we were thrilled with the growth in 2019,” referring to the record 1.1 million Chinese tourists who visited New York that year. Despite current visitor numbers being far from full recovery, Dixon outlined strategies to win back Chinese tourists, including partnerships with travel platforms like Ctrip and TongCheng to promote New York City throughout June.
During the summit, New York City renewed its tourism partnership with Shanghai, a collaboration first established in 2016. “Shanghai and New York City have a lot in common. Both are international gateways among the largest cities in the world,” Dixon noted. He expressed hope that such city partnerships would encourage more people-to-people exchanges and travel between the United States and China.
Dixon acknowledged challenges such as visa wait times and limited flight capacities but remained optimistic. “Before the pandemic, we had over 50 direct services into China per week; today we have about ten. But the good news is demand is strong, and travelers are finding their way back to New York,” he said.
Highlighting the unique appeal of New York City, Dixon stated, “The city never disappoints and always exceeds people’s expectations.” He encouraged visitors to explore not just Manhattan but also Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. “There’s so much to see and do. New York offers so many experiences in one destination.”
Looking ahead, Dixon expressed confidence in the market’s recovery. “We’re very optimistic that the market will recover strongly this year, and we think we will be close to full recovery next year, perhaps even beyond,” he said. “The city is open and welcoming… So please do come and visit.”
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
