Hawaii among several destinations luring Chinese

Then there is getting to the United States. There are non-stop flights from Beijing and other Chinese cities to popular U.S. destinations, but Hawaii is not among them. Traveling to Hawaii usually means a stop at busy Narita Airport outside Tokyo.

That could change next year if China-based Hainan Airlines follows through with plans to begin flying to Honolulu from Beijing non-stop. Even so, Hainan at first will fly only once a week to Hawaii. In comparison, Japan has about a dozen daily flights to the islands.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also is eying Hainan, said John Bischoff, a vice president with the organization. The authority may be interested in a deal in which Hainan passengers stop in Hawaii on their way to Las Vegas or during their return to China, he said.

The Chinese tend to travel to the United States for multiple weeks, so it’s to the advantage of U.S. tourism officials to cooperate on tour packages and travel agent training, Bischoff said.

However the Chinese get to Hawaii, the islands are counting on them not to be frugal. Chinese travelers spend more than counterparts from any other country — about $7,200 per person per trip, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

But Hawaii’s tourism industry knows it needs to make the islands more culturally inviting to the Chinese. Many hotels, restaurants and retail stores have offered Japanese-speaking clerks for years, along with signs and menus in Japanese. Such aid is infrequently provided in Mandarin.

At the request of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Kapiolani Community College, located just outside the tourist hub of Waikiki, has begun offering classes in basic Chinese phrases and customs to travel industry employees.

“What we’re really doing with China is sort of just scratching the surface a little bit deeper…and (trying) to get to the level of comfort we presently have with our Japanese visitors,” said Barry Wallace, executive vice president for Outrigger hotels.

California drew 237,000 Chinese visitors last year. State and local tourism officials are meeting counterparts in China and offering new travel packages that brand the Golden State as a “dream destination.”

Las Vegas’ marketing efforts focus less on gaming, since the Chinese can easily travel to Macau for that, said Bischoff. Instead, Vegas highlights entertainment and sightseeing attractions, including the Grand Canyon Skywalk located 122 miles away, which was built by a Chinese American businessman.

“Estimates are,” Bischoff added, “that the Chinese tourist market is one of our brightest increasing sources of tourists.”