US firms in cultural pitch for Chinese tourist dollars (BBC Article by Jason Margolis)

Article by Jason Margolis BBC co-production, PRI's The World, Boston

Article link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20893400

Here's a few excerpts from the article.......

Chinese tourism in America

• From 2010-11, Chinese visitors to the US increased by 36%
• Visitors from China spent $5.7bn (£3.5bn) within the US in 2011
• The top five entry points for Chinese visitors to the US are New York, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago and Blaine, Washington state (on the Canadian border).

 +  Haybina Hao, who is originally from China and now works with the National Tour Association in the state of Kentucky, says it's often the little things that resonate with foreign visitors. For example, Chinese people like soy milk in the morning, and they don't like it served cold. "So use a microwave, if possible. You can use glass, you can use a little mug to wake them up," says Hao. "They will be so happy for their hot milk." And Hao added, hotel owners should put disposable slippers in the rooms. "That really makes them feel great, just like home."

+ The US Department of Commerce projects the number of Chinese visitors coming to America to nearly double within three years.