Chinese Tourism: Washington DC partners with WeChat app

World
Europe

02:50

Millions of Chinese tourists travel to destinations around the world every year. A popular spot is Washington. Now, they have a new tool to help them during their visit. As CGTN's Frances Kuo explains, it's the first of its kind in the US.

This is the time when Washington shines when these cherry blossom trees reach their peak along with the tourist season. This group of tourists from Xi'an, China is visiting DC for the first time.

"I have a very good impression of DC. It's clean and the people are very nice."

FRANCES KUO WASHINGTON DC "Among the millions of international tourists who come to Washington, the Chinese represent the largest group. According to Destination DC, the capital's main marketing organization, the number of Chinese visitors is expected to rise by as much as five percent next year."

ELLIOTT FERGUSON, PRESIDENT & CEO DESTINATION DC "China has become our No.1 market."

Elliott Ferguson is Destination DC's president and CEO. The organization has become the first in the United States to launch what's called the "city experience mini program".

ELLIOTT FERGUSON, PRESIDENT & CEO DESTINATION DC "Someone had to dip their toe in the water to find out what the impact was."

It's a partnership with "Wechat". The program provides an interactive guide for Chinese tourists -- right on the social media app.

YANA LIANG TOURIST "It's kind of like you hired a free tour guide to introduce what you do, what you should find in the city."

Features are in Mandarin and allow Chinese users to look up famous Washington landmarks, restaurants and shopping areas it also provides information like locations and user reviews all in one spot.

YANA LIANG TOURIST "I don't need to open up another map, most times we use WeChat so I can just open this in my WeChat. So this part is convenient."

And since the program is on the app - tourists like Yana Liang can also communicate with other Wechat users about their experiences.

ELLIOTT FERGUSON, PRESIDENT & CEO DESTINATION DC "You have nearly a billion followers on WeChat so why not look at that as an opportunity to grow and promote our destination and have those potential visitors look at DC through a different lens."

ELLIOTT FERGUSON, PRESIDENT & CEO DESTINATION DC "Not only will it enhance the number of visitors to Washington but also the length of their stay when they're considering visiting the Washington area."

The program is just one of the tools destination DC available to Chinese visitors. This promotional video is in Mandarin, sharing all that DC has to offer.

ELLIOTT FERGUSON, PRESIDENT & CEO DESTINATION DC "I think Chinese visitors are longing for that American experience."

An experience DC hopes to bring to them - while making them feel right at home. Frances Kuo, CGTN, Washington.