Visa issues keep thousands of Chinese tourists from Hawaii

HONOLULU – Rejected visa applications are keeping thousands of Chinese tourists from visiting Hawaii.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports (http://bit.ly/2onlFGZ ) that more than 2,000 of the 6,000 Nu Skin distributors in China and Hong Kong that were slated to attend a conference in Hawaii were not able to attend due to visa troubles. The Nu Skin convention is slated to be Hawaii’s largest incentive travel group from China.

Typically, 10 per cent to 15 per cent of visa applicants for large groups travelling to Hawaii get denied, but the Nu Skin rate was significantly higher.

Hawaii and other U.S. cities looking to increase Chinese tourism have been working with the U.S. Travel Association to advocate for visa improvements. Some travel officials say they are concerned about the Trump administration’s effect on travel.

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com