Here come Chinese tourists - and they aren't shopaholics

A group of Chinese tourists in New York. There was a time when the luxury stores on the Fifth Avenue of New York City were frequented by Chinese consumers. Now, they have turned to the attractions other than gilt and luxury. Hou Jun / For China Daily

As larger numbers of Chinese tourists are coming to the United States with more individualized travel plans, more are turning their eyes to cultural and art attractions, rather than a shopping spree.

"We have seen the rise of independent Chinese tourists for a while, and they have showed increasing interest in culture and arts," Lin Xiaowen, a tour guide with the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

There used to be a time when the luxury stores on the Fifth Avenue of New York City were frequented by Chinese consumers. But now, they have turned to the attractions other than gilt and luxury.

"In recent years, the number of Chinese tourists (to the Met) kept rising. In 2009, there were only about 50,000 (annually), but since 2014, their number has exceeded 200,000," said Lin, "So, Chinese visitors have become the largest group of foreign visitors in Met since then."

In 2015, the number of visitors to this iconic museum has reached 6.3 million, which has been attributed in large part to Chinese elements and tourists. The Met is one of the world's largest museums with over two million pieces of artwork.

Responding to the sharp rise in Chinese visitors, the museum made efforts to cater to the Chinese, including audio tours and maps in Mandarin, opening a Chinese Weibo account, and even acceptance of UnionPay.

"Now, the museum offers Mandarin tour to visitors three times a week," Lin said. It has been reported that the Mandarin version of the Met's guidebook sells better than any other foreign-language editions.

Against the impression that Chinese tourists are mainly "shoppers", they are visiting scenic spots with civic interest or stunning scenery.

"The total amount of shopping by Chinese shoppers has dropped by almost one third in the first quarter of 2016," said Rich Sun, COO and Board Secretary of L&L Tour, one of the largest Chinese travel agencies in New York.

Chinese tourists now choose to spend more time in the spots like Washington Square, enjoying some coffee, or take a walk around famous campuses, like Columbia University, New York University, and so on.

Some Chinese visitors take a special interest in exploring Ivy League universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University in Boston, Princeton University in New Jersey and Yale University in Connecticut.

"They are more interested in outdoor activities, such as adventures. They are more interested in the natural scenery, like the national parks. They are more interested in the secondary and tertiary cities, not just New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas," Sun told Xinhua. "They want to explore more of American culture.

"And also, another trend among the Chinese tourists coming to the US is that they are more interested in staying here longer to explore local communities in depth, not in a superficial stay for one night or for a couple of days."

Xinhua in New York