GBCVB Reveals Record-Breaking Visitors from China to Boston at 3rd Annual China-Friendly Workshop

On Tuesday, January 15 the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) hosted China 3.0, the third workshop in its China-Friendly seminar series. At the workshop, which was attended by more than 125 GBCVB member companies, the Bureau reported on record-breaking visitor results from China. In 2017, 301,000 Chinese visitors came to Boston, a 153% increase over the past 5 years.

GBCVB President & CEO Pat Moscaritolo and China-Friendly Marketing Committee Chair Brad Rice singled out three individuals who have driven the China initiative and its record-breaking results: Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism Executive Director Francois Nivaud, GBCVB Senior Manager of Media Relations David O’Donnell, and GBCVB Chinese Marketing Manager Sharon Xu. “A destination does not have this kind of success by accident,” said Moscaritolo.

Brad Rice, Chair of the GBCVB China-Friendly Marketing Committee, pointed out that, “this growth has come from hard work and partnerships. Francois, Sharon and Dave led the first ever trade mission to China for Boston’s visitor industry, and they have built relationships with Chinese tour operators, consumers, and students to position Boston as a compelling destination. The results prove that our initiative has paid off, and then some.”

At the China 3.0 workshop, multiple presenters referenced 2018 data that shows continued growth for Boston even as inbound numbers from China have slowed across the nation. Scott Johnson, President of Travel Market Insights, reported that Boston’s market share is on the rise and that this will result in even more impressive numbers from China to Boston in 2018 and 2019. Carla Cabrera, Hainan Airlines’ Director of Sales for North America, shared with the audience that Boston is now Hainan’s most successful route in North America, with very strong 2018 numbers. And Expedia Senior Market Manager for Boston, Alex Fromson, shared robust results from a recent holiday booking campaign that Expedia and the GBCVB collaborated on.

According to Moscaritolo, “the goal for Boston, going forward, is 400,000 Chinese visitors by 2020. We are confident we can get there because our China initiative, led by our China Marketing Committee team, will continue to engage this market and execute strategies to generate more business from China for Boston and for our member companies.”