Telling Philadelphia's story to China
The first edition of the China Philadelphia Story, a Chinese-language brochure developed by the Chinese Consulate General in New York and the Sino American Business and Travel Association to promote Philadelphia to Chinese tourists, was released on Oct 7.
In 2015, the Philadelphia travel bureau saw a 14.7 percent increase of visitors compared with the previous year, making China its fastest-growing overseas market.
The travel bureau opened an office in China in 2013 to promote the city to Chinese tour operators on an ongoing basis.
Greg DeShields, executive director of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau PHLDiversity, believes the new brochure will be a great help.
"Having something like this will certainly give them the indication that we don't just promote it," said DeShields, "but we actually live it."
The 24-page brochure opens with the history and geography of Philadelphia, and goes into transportation, tourism sites, restaurants and nightlife.
It was released at the Franklin Institute, where an exhibition of the Terracotta Warriors has been scheduled for next year.
Zhang Qiyue, China's consul general in New York, said the brochure is a "small step to many bigger steps" in the relationship between China and Philadelphia.
"I look forward to seeing our city being the site of even more interactions between the US and China," said Mayor Jim Kenney at the launch event.
"China is extremely important to us," he said. "Chinese tourists will spend money, will come with family, will send children to school and will invest in businesses in Philadelphia."
DeShields said the city is hoping to get direct flights between Philadephia and China. Before that, they are positioning the city as an add-on to visitors' trips to New York and Washington.
"We are the birthplace of democracy, and the historical origin of the United States, and the historical value certainly draws us more visitors from China," he said.
Wang Linyan contributed to this story.
hezijiang@chinadailyusa.com
