San Francisco readies for Spring Festival

To attract more Chinese travelers during the Lunar New Year holiday, the California tourism authority is gearing up to spotlight unique pop-up shops, merchandise, special events and cultural presentations.

"Increasing numbers of California hospitality businesses are offering Lunar New Year specials, events and promotions, building on the many parades and festivals that have been annual traditions for many years," said Shannon Brooks, international public relations manager of Visit California.

"We expect to see that trend continuing with new traditions being established and the California tourism industry's collective efforts to become China Ready," she added.

Though they don't have specific numbers on the visitors during the spring festival last year, Brooks said the 1,000 that were part of the groups who visited Disneyland were forecasted to spend at least $2,500 per person.

With more than 26 operators offering packages for the 2014 holiday and visitation from China continuing to rise, the economic impact from the spring festival season will certainly increase this year, she said.

Based on previous data, the holiday is expected to bring in at least $5 million in travel spending in the coming days, she said.

Both Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood are welcoming large tour groups next weekend with private events, she added.

New this year and in response to the popularity of the holiday, the California tourism authority ran a consumer campaign in China promoting Mega Happy New Year in California tour packages in the fall of 2013, with well known Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan the face of the campaign.

"The dramatic upward trajectory of the China market and the popularity of Chinese New Year tour packages over the past few years signaled the timing was right to run such a specifically targeted campaign," said Visit California president and CEO Caroline Beteta.

"We saw an opportunity to buoy the efforts of our partners in the travel trade and harness our relationship with Ms Gao to deliver the message that California is the best destination to spend the Chinese New Year season," she said.

Helen Tsui, director of international tourism with the San Francisco Travel Association, told China Daily they have been working with five top tour operators in Shanghai to create a special 11-day Western America tour package just for the 2014 Chinese New Year period.

Their Chinese partners are Shanghai CITS, Shanghai CTS, Shanghai CYTS, Jin Jiang Tour and Shanghai Airlines Tours.

There are five groups with daily departures from Jan 27 from Shanghai. Each group ranges from 20 to 24 people and all of the groups - totaling 118 people - will be in San Francisco on Jan 31.

Highlights of their activities on Chinese New Year's day will be at San Francisco's Pier 39, where members will get red packets and gift bags. There will be a welcoming speech, a lion dance and a souvenir photo session. The group will then take a Red & White Bay Cruise followed by lunch at Neptune's Waterfront Grill & Bar.

Based on the available total number of Chinese visitors to San Francisco between 2011 and 2012, there was 24 percent growth (from 198,000 in 2011 to 245,000 in 2012), Tsui said.

"We think double digit growth would also apply to the number of Chinese travelers visiting San Francisco during the Spring Festival this year," she added.

chenjia@chinadailyusa.com