CRI听力:More Chinese Travel to US with Increasing People-to-People Exchanges

The number of Chinese travelers to the United States increased by 21-percent last year to more than 2-million.

The U.S. Commerce Department is predicting a 17.5-percent annual increase in Chinese visitors on an annual basis, with some 6-million Chinese travelers entering the United States per year by 2020.

In the Washington D.C. area, the largest number tourists already come from China.

Stats show Chinese travelers to Washington are also spending more, on average, than any other nationality.

Matt Gaffney is the CEO of Capital Region USA, which is the official group which markets international travel to Washington, as well as neighboring Maryland and Virginia.

He says the new visa rules implemented earlier this year are having a big impact.

"Partly, this is due to a longer length of stay. It's about almost two weeks that they are visiting us. The average is nine nights. Chinese travelers are at almost 14 nights. So that by its nature means a longer spend because you're staying more nights, but on a per-night basis, their spend is higher than the average as well."

Under the new policy, tourists and business travelers are now able to apply for visas for up to 10-years.

The changes don't affect the length of stay on each trip, but mean the visa-holders don't have to re-apply each time, making the travel process much more convenient.

Matt Gaffney with Capital Region USA says this is likely to encourage more people from China to explore different parts of the United States.

"They're able to travel for a longer stay perhaps, they are traveling independently or with very small groups, so there's much more flexibility in where they are going; they are really getting in to see the heart of America, as opposed to just the major American cities."

The U.S. tourism industry is targeting international travelers with new advertising campaigns, even recruiting celebrities such as movie producer Spike Lee to make the pitch.

Sean Zhu is facilitator who helps Chinese students and tourists learn more about the life and culture in the U.S. capital.

"They are not only for, you know, to see the sites. They are here to see whether there are opportunities for if you are a businessman, they also want to seek opportunities here. If you ask students, you want to see what it's like here, you want to see how the schools look like, and if it's possible that they will study here. And also there are people who want to just want to enjoy the different culture right here."

Chinese visitors to the United States spent about 21 billion U.S. dollars last year.

Some estimates suggest that figure could go as high as 80-billion U.S. dollars a year over the next 5-years.