More than 30 percent of tourists choose Hawaii as their first destination in the United States, while another 30 percent opt for a whistle stop package tour of the entire country, according to an online survey carried out by Ctrip.com, China's major online travel service company.
The company said most Chinese tourists who go to the US for the first time hope to see as many scenic spots as possible.
Ctrip said more "deep" products are expected to develop as the market matures.
Half of the tourists in the survey said they tended to choose a 10-day-or-under package, while 30 percent preferred a journey of 10 to 15 days. Only 20 percent of the tourists wanted a US-bound tour of more than 15 days.
Most tour packages developed by domestic travel agencies are currently of seven to 15 days. Tourists said the US-bound tours costing about 20,000 yuan (2,857 U.S. dollars) were the most attractive. Only 10 percent of tourists were willing to pay 30,000 yuan or more.
The company said business travel was previously the main stream of the U.S.-bound tour market. However, the increase in recreational tours meant the price would drop to a similar level to that of European tours.
The first tour group bound for the US is expected to set out on June 17. Tourists will set out from Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou separately, and will gather in the U.S.
At present, most tour packages target the self-service tour to Hawaii or coastal cities, tour agencies said.
Groups going to the U.S. should book visa interviews a month in advance, and tourists should sign up for the group at least two months ahead of time, officials said. Groups apply for either a business (B1) or tourism visa (B2).
Source: Shanghai Daily
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