The Change Mariner

In Pacific, a Red Carpet for China's Rich Tourists

The New York Times:

Within a few years, their number in Guam could match the number of Japanese tourists, Governor Camacho announced before setting off from this capital city. That would be a huge change; last year almost three-quarters of Guam's 909,506 foreign tourists were Japanese; fewer than 1 percent were Chinese. And, he noted the average Chinese tourist spends $1,500 shopping, almost triple what the average Japanese visitor spends on Guam, a volcanic island in the Western Pacific.

Weeks later, the decision filtered back here that Beijing would allow Chinese group tourism to Micronesia. But it was Saipan, a tourism rival to Guam 130 miles north of here, that got China Southern Airlines' twice-weekly charter flights from Shanghai, starting last month.

"We have seen them moving very aggressively," Governor Camacho said glumly of his competitors. Referring to Beijing's plan to give "approved destination status" to Saipan this summer, he added, "We are moving as quickly and aggressively to get it for ourselves, too."

Posted by Bob King at May 13, 2004 05:26 PM | TrackBack
Related Categories: Country - China | Industry - Travel | Quadrant - Economic

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