More than 2.18 million Chinese people visited the U.S. and spent $23.77 billion on aggregated total travel and tourism expenses in 2014, according to a report released by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office.
The total number of Chinese visitors to the U.S. in 2014 increased by 21 percent compared with 2013 and they spent $2.6 billion more than in the previous year, almost five times what they spent in 2007.
Going for a vacation was the main reason for the visits, with purposes ranging from visiting friends and relatives and business matters also common.
Trips taken for educational purposes saw a negative growth of 0.7 percent compared to 2013.
The top three activities participated in by Chinese visitors in the U.S. were shopping, sightseeing and experiencing fine dining.
Chinese travelers showed a growing interest in visiting small towns and the countryside and in activities such as water sports, while activities such as visiting historical locations, taking guided tours, visiting cultural or ethnic heritage sites and gambling have become less popular.
Chinese tourists have proven to be valuable to the U.S. economy, only spending $3.4 billion less in the country than Canadian visitors despite 10 times more Canadians visiting the U.S. in 2014 than Chinese.
