2016 is the year of the Monkey and of China-US Tourism

Global Business

2016 has been called the year of China-U.S. tourism. Despite the slowing Chinese economy, more Chinese tourists are expected to visit the U.S. this year than in previous years.

CCTV America’s Shraysi Tandon reports from New York.

Despite the strengthening U.S. dollar and a slowing Chinese economy, more Chinese tourists are expected to visit the U.S. this year than in previous years, making the average Chinese tourist one of the hottest commodities in 2016.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama recently declared 2016 to be the year of China-U.S. tourism. The tourist rush starts right around this time because of Chinese New Year or Spring Festival.

In New York, luxury department store Bloomingdales is celebrating the Year of the Monkey by observing a Chinese tradition, which is the giving of “hong bao”, or red envelopes with money inside.

In 2014, 1.8 million Chinese tourists visited the U.S. and spent an eye-popping $21.1 billion. That’s a number that’s expected to nearly quadruple over the next five years.

The U.S. Department of Commerce says by 2021, Chinese tourists could be spending as much as $80 billion in the U.S.