Tourism officials target Chinese travellers

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota tourism officials are targeting a foreign country with a big appetite for international travel.

State officials are working with a marketing company in China to try to attract the millions of Chinese tourists who come to the United States each year.

The U.S. Travel Association says the number of Chinese visitors increases each year. In 2016, nearly 3 million Chinese residents visited the U.S., the third largest number of tourists behind Japan and the United Kingdom. The Argus Leader says that number is expected to increase by 7 to 10 per cent each year and surpass Japan by 2020.

The goal of the state Department of Tourism’s contract with East West Marketing is to make sure Chinese travellers see what South Dakota has to offer before they decide on a U.S. destination.

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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com