For Los Angeles, the largest and fastest-growing overseas market for Chinese travelers, the new visa policy is expected to be a huge boom for its tourism and hospitality industries.

Last year alone, some 570,000 Chinese nationals visited the city and spent $955 million. And that visitor number is expected to increase nearly 30 percent by 2016 as the new visa agreement eliminates the burdensome and expensive task of applying for visas annually.

Earlier this year, L.A. Tourism - the city's official tourism marketing organization - launched the China-Ready Training & Designation program to help Los Angeles hospitality providers capture a greater share of US inbound Chinese visitors by better understanding the cultural needs and desires of Chinese visitors.

To achieve the China-Ready designation, businesses must complete a series of in-depth training seminars on the cultural preferences of Chinese visitors. The designation also requires that businesses present Chinese-language guest information, accept China UnionPay credit or debit cards, and offer amenities unique to Chinese visitors, such as slippers, hot water and Chinese tea in hotel guest rooms.

The China-Ready program also highly recommends offering other amenities such as Chinese breakfast options, Mandarin-speaking staff, a Chinese-language newspaper, audio tours in Mandarin, and Chinese social media accounts such as Weibo or WeChat. The specific requirements and recommendations vary by category, which include hotels, attractions and cultural institutions, shopping, restaurants, sightseeing and transportation.

Businesses that qualify for the China-Ready designation, receive special marketing benefits from L.A. Tourism, such as direct introductions to Chinese tour operators, listings on the L.A. Tourism Mandarin website and in the official China Visitors Guide, permission to use the China-Ready logo in print and digital marketing materials and inclusion in L.A. Tourism's Chinese travel-trade and in-market public relations outreach efforts.

Since the launch of the China Ready program, 10 Los Angeles businesses have successfully met the requirements, including Art Muse Los Angeles, Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Harbor Breeze Cruises, Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, Hotel Palomar Los Angeles - Westwood, Macy's, Montage Beverly Hills, Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, The Langham Huntington Pasadena and TRG Golf, Inc.

"Although growth in arrivals from China is strong, there is still an opportunity to maximize Chinese tourist visitation," said Ernest Wooden Jr., president and CEO of L.A. Tourism.

"Chinese travelers have unique habits and preferences, the China-Ready program enables the hospitality community to understand these differences and travel behaviors resulting in an improved experience," he said, adding that the effort seeks to make Los Angeles "the preferred U.S. destination for this market."

zhangyuchen@chinadaily.com.cn