Report Projects Big Jump in Chinese Visitors to New York and Los Angeles

The surge in visitors from China will continue into the next few years, with New York and Los Angeles expected to see a nearly 200 percent increase in travelers from the world’s most populous country, according to a new study.

New York and Los Angeles are already the top destinations for Chinese visitors to the U.S. and will continue to hold those positions into 2023, according to a study by the Oxford Economics Co. on behalf of the InterContinental Hotels Group.

Chinese travelers have already surpassed Americans in total outbound international trips. But with the Chinese middle class continuing to grow, the study predicts that the travel trend will continue.

“In total, Chinese travelers made over 67.5 million trips in 2014,” according to the report. “Annual Chinese arrivals are expected to total nearly 97 million by 2023 at an average annual growth rate of 5.1 percent over the ten-year forecast horizon.”

The report is only the latest study to document the boom in travel from China. Hotels and airlines in the U.S. have already responded to the growth by hiring Mandarin-speaking staff and offering traditional Chinese foods and drinks.

By 2023, New York is expected to host 1.17 million Chinese visitors, a 196 percent increase over 2013, with Los Angeles on track to host 1.14 million Chinese visitors, a 192 percent increase over 2013, according to the Oxford report.

New York and Los Angeles will also lead all American cities in total room nights booked and spending, the report said. By 2023, Chinese visitors will spend $5.5 billion visiting New York, a 289 percent increase over 2013, while Chinese visitors are expected to spend $5.4 billion visiting Los Angeles that year, a 284 percent increase over a decade earlier, the report said.

“Some of the largest growth opportunities are evident for U.S. cities, with the major gateway cities of New York City and Los Angeles expected to benefit most from their popularity among Chinese travelers,” the report concluded.

This article appeared in print in the March 4th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.