On his first visit to Guangzhou, Scott Beck, president and CEO of the San Francisco Tourism Board, was blown away.
"I didn't expect it to be so lively. On the morning of April 16, he and his team left for Guangzhou. Prior to this, they had already experienced roadshows in Shanghai, Shenzhen and other places, but this time, he was still amazed by the flow of vehicles and bustling people, as well as the vigorous vitality of the city.
Scott Beck, President and CEO, San Francisco Tourism Board
On the occasion of the 135th Canton Fair, San Francisco has started a series of visits to China in the past few days. After a five-year absence, the San Francisco Tourism Board returned to China, along with San Francisco Mayor Breed. And this time, they also brought a long-lost invitation.
Further recovery of air capacity
If we look at tourism revenue alone, the Chinese market has recovered to the level of 19 years.
In 2023, China once again became San Francisco's top overseas market for tourist spending, contributing $633.4 million, according to the data.
©San Francisco Travel Association
However, this is not the recovery of the total number of tourists, but the increase in per capita consumption.
"At present, in San Francisco, the spending of Chinese tourists has almost equaled that of 2019. But at the same time, the total number of Chinese tourists is only about 50 percent of what it was back then, Bosgaard said.
And the degree of recovery in the total number of tourists is exactly in line with the recovery of flights. According to official statistics, there are currently 23 weekly flights from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Wuhan in China to San Francisco, "which may increase to 25 from the end of April". Before the pandemic, the number was 50 classes.
©San Francisco Travel Association
Only half of the capacity has been restored, which is still a major problem for San Francisco tourism. Industry insiders pointed out that the number of tourists in a destination is often most directly related to the number of flights. The more direct flights there are to the region, the better the recovery of the market.
Focusing on southern China, Guangzhou currently has two weekly flights to San Francisco, while United Airlines has two regular daily flights from Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific has nine weekly flights to San Francisco.
The San Francisco Tourism Board is also aware of its importance. "One of our very important goals for this roadshow is to establish contact with airlines and speed up the pace of flight resumption. Boscoon said.
It is reported that in this roadshow, they visited a number of airlines, including China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Shenzhen Airlines, "hoping to restore the route as soon as possible." This year, with flights and further intensification, they expect the number of Chinese tourists to recover to 75 to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Adapting to the changes in Chinese tourists
"Chinese tourists are welcome, we are ready. "For both the mayor of San Francisco and the Department of Tourism, this is not a slogan, but a real commitment.
In fact, they have long observed the changes in Chinese tourists.
"The travel experience of Chinese tourists is not what it used to be. According to Pasco, more people are moving from simply checking in and taking photos to more in-depth destination experiences and staying longer.
©San Francisco Travel Association
The mix of visitors to San Francisco is also changing. On the one hand, group tours are shrinking and the proportion of independent travel is expanding. According to the data, the recovery rate of FIT has reached 70%, and the team is only 30%. In addition, the age group of Chinese tourists is also decreasing.
And this is the overall trend facing the outbound travel market. For destinations, changes in tourists' travel characteristics will not only bring about an increase in per capita consumption level, but also mean higher requirements for services, products and other content.
Openness is the answer given by the San Francisco Tourism Board.
This time, they "teamed" to come in hopes of having a more direct understanding of China's current ecology, especially mobile payment habits. "We know that Chinese tourists can't do without mobile payment tools such as WeChat in their daily lives," said Bosco, "Then we can also connect various facilities and services with WeChat, so as to better serve Chinese tourists." ”
The expansion and upgrading of a series of cultural tourism products is also intended to meet the in-depth experience needs of Chinese tourists. "In fact, San Francisco has changed a lot in itself as a destination in the last five years. He points out that visitors will find many new hotels, attractions and experiences to try when they come here.
©San Francisco Travel Association
For example, visitors can take driverless taxis, while outdoor enthusiasts can head to the new park or the 10-hectare hiking trail to experience more possibilities for city travel.
Deepen co-operation in culture and tourism between the two places
It is worth noting that the "fate" between San Francisco and Guangzhou is also quite deep.
For example, it is also a "convention and exhibition capital". He pointed out that MICE has always been an important part of San Francisco's tourism, and before the pandemic, it attracted countless international business travelers every year.
©San Francisco Travel Association
However, due to the impact of the epidemic, the "booster" of exhibition activities is still further recovering. The San Francisco Tourism Bureau previously said that the number of events held at the Moscone Center in 2024 will be lower than the same period in history. The decrease in the number of meetings and conferences was mainly due to the follow-on impact of the Moscone Center's inability to advance sales for 2 years during the pandemic.
In Guangzhou, the Canton Fair, which amazed Bosco, has also become one of the keys to "attracting customers".
It is reported that as of April 17, a total of 107722 overseas buyers from 212 countries and regions around the world attended the Canton Fair, an increase of 23% over the same period last year.
"Of course, such similarities are what we would like to see. He pointed out that this has given San Francisco and Guangdong more commonalities and cooperation possibilities in the field of business travel.
It is understood that this year, the Moscone Center in San Francisco has confirmed that it will hold 25 events, which is expected to contribute more than 480,000 hotel room nights, and world-class conferences such as the Game Developers Conference, Information Security Conference, Dreamforce, and Data+AI Summit will be launched one after another.
©San Francisco Travel Association
In addition, San Francisco itself is one of the important centers for Chinese Americans. San Francisco Mayor London Breed pointed out in an interview that about 30 percent of the San Francisco Chinese community has close ties to Guangzhou. This has also brought more opportunities and potential for family visits and business between the two places.
"In addition, the two places also have close ties in terms of economic and industrial development, and like Shenzhen, San Francisco is also home to many technology companies. Boscoon said that with the theme of digital technology, more tourism routes and products may be formed between the two places in the future.
Southern + reporter Ye Qihan
Source: San Francisco Tourism Board
【Author】 Ye Qihan
[Source] Southern Press Media Group Southern + client