Chinese tourists invade New York

BY JORDAN LITE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
January 13th 2008

Irish and British tourists have taken New York by storm, but they may soon get a run for their money from a new wave of visitors: the Chinese.

City tour operators are smacking their lips at the prospect of an influx of nouveaux riches from China - the result of a new travel deal between that country and the U.S.

The agreement, signed Dec. 11 by U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, allows tour operators in China to promote group trips to U.S. shores. Commerce figures estimate it could draw an estimated 579,000 Chinese visitors by 2011.

"New York is the single-biggest destination in the U.S. and has longstanding historic ties to China - lots of family ties - so I'd expect New York to do very, very well," said Allen Kay, a spokesman for the Travel Industry Association, a trade group.

China's 1.4 billion population includes an increasingly affluent middle class. Already, the Chinese outspend other tourists in New York. Each shells out an average $2,200 per visit, compared with $1,750 by travelers from other countries, said Kimberly Spell, a spokeswoman for NYC & Co., the city's tourism organization.

They gobble up blue jeans, skateboards and other American goods, she said. But they're especially hungry for the Western luxury products that line Fifth Ave., Madison Ave. and department store shelves.

"All they want to do is shop," said Jiao Ma, 25, who moved to New York from China about 10 years ago.

Standing outside the Louis Vuitton store at 57th St. and Fifth Ave., Ma said she expects many Chinese nationals to take advantage of the group tours. "They buy tons and tons of LV bags, and then go home and post online 'Look what I got!'" she said.

Anticipating the agreement, New York City set up a tourism-marketing office in Shanghai in June to promote the Big Apple to Chinese travel agents.

Some 145,000 Chinese visited the city in 2006, a number expected to hit 159,000 last year, city officials said.

"We've never seen a country with a population this size have a dramatic change in who can come visit," Spell said. "It's staggering to think of the potential."

Business travelers dominate the Chinese tourist market, but city landmarks are tailor-made for the tour operators expected to advertise the U.S. to Chinese who enjoy traveling in groups.

Gray Line Tours is now offering Mandarin-language tours of the city; they are about 40% full, said company president Tom Lewis.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has the largest Asian art collection in the West, also offers guided tours in Mandarin.

Of its 4.6 million visitors this year, an estimated 76,000 were from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, a spokeswoman said.

Chinese businessman Jack Lin, who was visiting the city with his family for the holidays, agreed the new pact will bring more Chinese tourists who will spend money.

"This will make it much easier to come here direct from China," said Lin, 40, standing in line with his wife, Linda, and 11-year-old daughter, Jenny, as they waited for the Abercrombie & Fitch store to open. "Until now it is very difficult to get a visa for the USA - it's crazy.

"This will make things smoother. It will be huge for tourism."With Bill Egbert