A delegation of 25 Chinese tourism officials dines at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Tuesday. The delegation spent two nights in Monterey County to learn if the region could be sold to Chinese tourists.
Monterey County could be sold as an "authentic" American destination, Chinese tourism officials who recently visited the county said.
The 25-person group of tourism officials, Chinese media and the country's largest airline visited on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The officials, who had been to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, said through a translator they were pleased with the area.
"Monterey is so relaxed," said Yin Zhang, the CEO of China Air Services Travel Agency Ltd.
He said his travel agency sees about 5,000 people a year from the Fujian province who want to visit the United States. He said many more would visit if not for visa restrictions.
Zhang and others were invited to the area by the county Convention and Visitors Bureau, which hopes to appeal to China's emerging affluent class.
Hong Ye, a TV host for Xiamen Broadcast and Television Group, said Monterey County and its people seemed "original, authentic."
Monterey could serve as a place for Chinese to see "the real America" ? a break from the hustle and bustle of other popular destinations, said officials from the Chinese and American tour agency that organized the trip, Viva Tours.
"We feel a sensation of safety and privacy, a change of pace that will be appealing to Chinese city dwellers," said Jun Qui, director of outbound travel for Xiamen Airlines Travel Co., of Monterey.
"We have a feeling of relaxation, lifting of stress, slowing of heart rate, and (you) can forget
yourself."Chinese tourists must visit agents who get approval for them to leave the country and advise them on where to go.
Yisong Li, a travel agent with the Xiamen C&D International Travel Co. Ltd., said he would likely sell Monterey County as part of a package deal.
He said the county could be a good break for tourists who will likely want to see Los Angeles and other more populated areas.
Li and everyone else in the group were thrilled with Pebble Beach. They said it would appeal to wealthy Chinese travelers who see playing golf as a status symbol.
The delegation also said Chinese tourists would be interested in the history of their people in the region and the environment.
"All these places didn't have the natural beauty," Zhang said of the county compared to other destinations.
There is no shortage of Chinese visitors who want to come to the U.S. John Lin, chief operating officer of Viva Tours, said there are 1,400 people lined up at the United States embassy in Beijing each day trying to get visas to visit.
"There's always been a huge demand," he said.
More than 1 million Chinese tourists came to the United States in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Preliminary data from the department show a 40 percent increase in 2012.
Forty-six percent of Chinese travel in 2011 was in California, according to the state's tourism agency, Visit California.
Tammy Blount, president of the county Convention and Visitors Bureau, said they targeted China because its visitors stay twice as long as other tourists and have more disposable income.
A series about the trip will air on the Chinese state-owned Xiamen Broadcast and Television Group in three weeks, Ye said.
The program must be approved, and possibly edited, by the local government before it airs, according to director Kai Chen.
The station has 4 million viewers, Chen said.
Phillip Molnar can be reached at 646-4487 or pmolnar@montereyherald.com.
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