Discover the Best of California

Prepared by Kevin HuangOct 8, 2015

Page 2

Page 3

You Have Heard of These Famous Places

Come to Discover & Experience them in Person!

Page 4

California Facts:

• Capital City: Sacramento• Size: 158,706 square miles (3rd largest state)• Population: 38,8M - highest state population• Nickname: The Golden State• Motto: Eureka (“I have found it”)• Statehood: September 9, 1850• Largest 5 Cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno• Border States: Arizona, Nevada, Oregon• State Animal: California Grizzly Bear• State Bird: California Valley Quail• State Flower: Golden Poppy• The redwood is the official state tree.• State Song: I Love You, California

Page 5

Some Fun Facts about California:

• More turkeys are raised in California than in any other state in the United States.

• Fallbrook is known as the Avocado Capital of the World and hosts an annual Avocado Festival. More avocados are grown in the region than any other county in the nation.

• Fresno proclaims itself the Raisin Capital of the World

• California is known variously as The Land of Milk and Honey, The El Dorado State, The Golden State, and The Grape State.

California has the largest economy in the states of the union & Los Angeles is ranked the 4th largest economy in the United States compared to other states.

• Totaling nearly three million acres, San Bernardino County is the largest county in the country.

• Alpine County is the eighth smallest of California's 58 counties. It has no high school, ATMs, dentists, banks, or traffic lights.

• In 1925 a giant sequoia located in California's Kings Canyon National Park was named the nation's national Christmas tree. The tree is over 300 feet in height.

Page 6

California: Gateway to the United States

Page 7

California is for Everyone

For Family

For Memory

For Meeting

For UsFor Shopping

For Peace of Mind

For Adventure

For Event For Fun

• Seeking adventure• Cultural discovery• Unique experience

Page 8 http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g28926-California-Vacations.html

Page 9

Top 10 National Parks in California

Death Valley national parkYosemite national parkPoint Reyes national seashoreJoshua Tree national parkLassen Volcanic national parkSequoia and Kings Canyon national parksPinnacles national parkDevils Postpile national monumentKing Range national conservation areaRedwood national and state parks

Page 10

Coronado Beach La Jolla Cove New Port Beach

Beautiful Beaches in California

Coronado Municipal Beach Carlsbad State Beach Laguna Beach

Half Moon Bay Beach Pismo Beach Asilomar Beach Venice Beach

Page 11

Major Sports in California

California has over twenty major professional sports franchises, far more than any other US

state. 

Page 12

Top U.S. Universities in California

Page 13

California represents 13% of the gross domestic product of the United States: the San Francisco Bay Area alone represents a GDP of more than $ 500 billion, which is equivalent to one of the twenty largest world economies.The main driving force of the economy is in Silicon Valley, a region famous for being the birthplace or hosting such major technology players as Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Apple, Oracle, Google and Facebook.

Silicon Valley - An Economic Powerhouse

Page 14

Economic Impact of Travel in California

Page 15

The Top Destinations for Chinese Tourists in 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-rises-for-chinese-in-travel-survey-1420445557?mod=e2tw

Page 16

Affluent Chinese Travelers Love the United States!

According to Pierre Gervois, the New York City based Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of this publication “The new generation of Chinese business travelers have clearly chosen the United States as their strategic country for their business growth. We have seen in the past two years a very strong interest from Chinese corporations – and wealthy Chinese individuals- to invest in the United States. The more they come to the U.S. for business, the more they tend to come back with their family for a U.S. luxury leisure experience”.

Page 17

Chinese Tourists are Flooding Into the US Thanks to a New Visa Rule

In 2014, 72.2 million international visitors came to the US, according to US Travel Association, and that number is expected to hit 88.3 million in four years.A huge portion of that growth will come from China, which is expected to send 3.1 million visitors to the States in 2019, a 172% increase over 2013 figures. That will put China behind only Mexico and Canada in terms of the number of visitors it sends, according to the US Department of Commerce.The projected growth is thanks in part to the new extended US-China visa agreement signed at the APEC summit last November, which is encouraging an increase in Chinese business travelers and tourists to the US.The new B-category non-immigrant visa can now be issued for up to 10 years for business or tourist travel for either US citizens going to China or Chinese travelers coming to America. http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-tourists-to-us-on-the-rise-2015-1

Page 18

Page 19

How to convince affluent Chinese tourists to choose a U.S. destination versus another? Chinese travelers have their secret weapon in their iPad. Several digital travel magazines entirely in Chinese mandarin are now published for the famous Apple tablet, and have a tremendous impact on how Chinese tourists plan their trip to America. Publications like Luxury Hotels of America, Niuyue Mag, or the Shanghai Travelers’ Club, published by China Elite Focus Magazines LLC, have gained tens of thousands of new readers over the last year.

Chinese Shoppers Become More Sophisticated

Page 20

“China Daily reported that tourism from China to Los Angeles has nearly quadrupled over the past four years. Visitors rose from 158,000 in 2009 to 570,000 in 2013. With over a million Chinese visiting California last year and a projected 2 million by 2020, retailers and restaurants are thrilled at the reported $6,000 spending-per-visit.”http://www.breitbart.com/california/2015/03/01/average-chinese-tourist-spends-6000-per-california-visit/

Chinese Tourists Bring Plethora of Riches to US Cities

Page 21

Bay Area Tourism Businesses Prepare for Huge Influx of Chinese Visitors

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2015/09/california-tourism-chinese-visitors-bay-area-sf.html

California tourism bureaus are making a push to educate businesses about Chinese tourism as the number of Chinese visitors to California — and the Bay Area — continues to rise.Visit California, the state’s tourism association, will host the first in a series of seminars called "China Ready" that are aimed at helping businesses prepare for the growing number of Chinese tourists visiting the Golden State every year.

“We are launching this series now because California is the top U.S. destination for Chinese visitors,” said Jennifer Sweeney, director of public relations for Visit California. “We welcomed more than 1 million travelers in 2014 and by 2018 it’s projected that more than 1.8 million Chinese travelers will visit California — that’s a 78.1 percent increase over 2014.”

Page 22

The Top 10 U.S. States Where Chinese Are Investing in Real Estate

“Chinese investors are distributing their investments across the whole country, not only focusing on selecting assets in prime locations…but also paying more attention to cities with lower prices and greater potential,” said James Shepherd, Cushman & Wakefield’s head of research for Greater China.

Page 23

California's Drought No Match for Its Tourism Industry

"The drought is affecting California's tourist attractions in very different ways, but most tourists are unlikely to be affected since businesses have merged water conservation practices with their overall operations," said Ryan Becker, vice president of communications at Visit California.During 2014, travel and tourism expenditures in the state totaled $117.5 billion. That meant jobs for more than 1 million people and $9.3 billion in state and local tax revenues. Given those numbers, there's plenty of incentive for California to keep tourism afloat during these dry times.http://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/22/californias-drought-no-match-for-its-tourism-industry.html

Page 24

Understanding the Wants and Needs of Chinese Tourists

Catering to the tastes of Chinese visitors can pay big dividends for businesses in the travel and tourism industry. Hotels, airlines, restaurants, shops, and attractions are already directing a part of their marketing efforts toward the Chinese tourists.The Chinese spend more than US $6,000 per person, about double the amount spent by other international visitors. When the number of visitors doubles in the next few years, the impact on the US economy will be magnified exponentially. Opportunity is just knocking at the door for many businesses to reap the benefits of this major travel trend. Any business that wants to benefit from this once-in-a-generation trend needs to know what the Chinese tourists wants and needs.

Page 25

Understanding the Wants and Needs of Chinese Tourists (continued)

Travel preferences depend on ageTraditionally, the Chinese tourists have preferred to travel with family or a group of close friends. Having friends and family along allows them to share their experiences while they are exploring a different culture. They like the security of having a planned itinerary and often choose to be part of a tour group.

Millennials and members of the younger generation are expressing their desire to travel individually or with a few friends/family members. Young, wealthy, and better educated Chinese tourists have more of a sense of adventure. Technologically savvy and active on social media sites, they want to blend in to the foreign city they are visiting and create individual experiences.

Data:  China Tourism administration

Page 26

Understanding the Wants and Needs of Chinese Tourists (continued)

Why do Chinese want to travel abroad?Although there are exceptions to every rule, the majority of Chinese tourists do not look at vacations as a means to relieve the stress in their lives. Unlike Americans who have a sense of entitlement that they deserve a relaxing vacation as a reward for working hard, the Chinese see a foreign vacation as an opportunity to experience different cultures on a first-hand basis and gain an understanding of how other people live.

Page 27

Understanding the Wants and Needs of Chinese Tourists (continued)

Planning a vacationWhile the Chinese tourists may do some research on the Internet about their upcoming trip, by and large, they do not feel the need to find out everything there is to see and do when they get to their destination. The Chinese spend more of their time in the present and enjoy the moment. They have fun getting a cup of coffee and a donut in the airport and they enjoy the taxi ride to their hotel.

Page 28

Understanding the Wants and Needs of Chinese Tourists (continued)

A full cultural experience

Whether traveling in large groups or just with a few family members and close friends, Chinese tourists are anxious to absorb the culture that is all around them. They want to eat pizza and hamburgers (not Chinese food!) when they are in New York or California. They want to go to the beach in San Diego. Little things, like buying a candy bar at a convenience store or watching American TV, mean almost as much as going to Disneyland or visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Page 29

Understanding the Wants and Needs of Chinese Tourists (continued)

ShoppingChinese tourists bring a lot of money to shop. They may buy a few souvenirs from the places they visit, but most of their shopping dollars are directed at upscale goods that they normally do not buy at home. Designer clothing, shoes and accessories are very popular. They want high-end merchandise such as Gucci bags and Prada shoes. They are less interested in hand-crafted items made in the USA than they are in items that are considered status symbols.The wants and needs of the Chinese tourists are evolving as the middle and upper-class grows larger in China. While traditional values are still most important to the majority of this growing group of world travelers, younger Chinese people, who grew up in the digital age, are venturing out and creating their own personal travel experiences.

Page 30

What Should You Consider in Your Hotel to Make Chinese Tourists Happy?

Page 31

As any good host should know, you should always try to make your guest feel welcome and at home. You want to serve them food that they will like and not discuss subjects that will make them feel ill at ease. When you run a hotel, the best way to assure that your guests will be pleased with their stay, is to find out what they like and what they don’t like.Chinese people, particularly the younger generation, spend a great deal of time on social media. They share their opinions and experiences with their friends and post online reviews. A hotel manager can get great feedback by having an employee, who is fluent in Mandarin, monitor the popular Chinese travel and social.When tourists or business people from China book a room in your hotel, you should be prepared to give them a proper welcome. While more Chinese tourists are visiting the United States than ever before and becoming familiar with western culture, they still retain strong traditional Chinese values.

Page 32

A Two-Stage Approach to Making Your Chinese Guests Happy

You are never going to please all of the people all of the time, but, you can do things that will get you more favorable comments from your Chinese guests. First, you need to take steps to add the amenities and features that appeal to your Chinese visitors. Next, and just as important, you need to avoid doing things that have a negative connotation and may upset your guests.

SymbolismThe Chinese have lucky and unlucky numbers. They believe certain colors are lucky and others will bring bad luck. They attribute certain characteristics to animals and flowers. A hotel that wants to cater to the Chinese tourists should know:

• If you place flowers in a guest room, the color of the container should coordinate with the color of the flowers. Plants are a life force and flowers in bloom should be accompanied by budding flowers that represent the continuous journey through life.

• The most popular Chinese number is 8. In the Mandarin language, “8” sounds like the Chinese word for prosperity. If you can put your Chinese guests in a room on the 8th floor, or give them room 388, hey will consider it good luck. Number “4” is a number that is considered very bad luck. It sounds like the Mandarin word “death” and should be avoided at all costs. In Las Vegas, the Encore Hotel does not have any floors in the 40’s, an obvious accommodation to its Chinese guests.

• Red is considered the luckiest and most popular color. Among the adjectives associated with this color are good luck, celebration, joy, vitality and life. White is often used during times of mourning and is associated with death. Reds, yellows, orange and several other colors are good choices if you decide to decorate a room that will be visually appealing to your Chinese guests.

Page 33

A Two-Stage Approach to Making Your Chinese Guests Happy(continued)

Tea TimeWhile most Americans can’t go without a cup of coffee to start their day, most Chinese people incorporate hot tea into their daily routine. Your hotel should always have hot water in the lobby for tea and it would also be appreciated if the guest rooms had tea kettles and an assortment of different teas.

Complimentary slippers in every roomAnother tradition that is followed in the Chinese culture is to remove your shoes before entering a room. Hotels should provide disposable slippers by he bed in each room.

Breakfast menuHelp your Chinese guests get off to a good start each day by offering them some familiar breakfast staples. While Westerners might eat cold cereal and scrambled eggs, Asian tastes may prefer congee (rice porridge) with some hot bean juice. Noodles and dumplings are also favorites from the homeland.

Page 34

A Two-Stage Approach to Making Your Chinese Guests Happy(continued)

A staff that speaks MandarinBeing in a foreign land can be intimidating if you do not understand the native language. While some Chinese tourists have a good command of English, others do not. Even if they can speak English, they feel more welcome and comfortable if they can talk and be understood in their native tongue. Your hotel should have at least one, if not several, staff members who can communicate fluently in Mandarin.

Entertain & inform in the Chinese languagePutting up a Chinese version of your hotel’s website is a great way to provide information to your Asian guests. Subscribe to some Chinese language TV stations or have movies with Chinese subtitles. Your hotel can order a daily Chinese-language newspaper and you can have city maps and travel cards printed in Mandarin.

Don’t forget the free toothbrush and toothpasteChinese tourists seldomly carry their own toothbrushes or toothpaste when they go on vacation. They expect that the hotel will provide those personal items for free. Don’t disappoint them.

Page 35

A Two-Stage Approach to Making Your Chinese Guests Happy(continued)

Address safety concernsEvery person that travels to a foreign country always has some concerns about their safety and the safety of their money and important documents. In surveys, the Chinese express an unusually high concern about safety issues when traveling to the United States. Reassure guests by pointing out the many safety features of your hotel. You may encourage guests to use an in-room safe or leave their valuables in the hotel’s secured storage area.

What else do Chinese tourists want?• Free WiFi• At least one Chinese meal a day. It could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner.• Food that is not too sweet. They prefer fruit and vegetables instead of cake and candy bars.• Clean guest rooms

Page 36

How to Attract Chinese Tourists All Year RoundChinese people will most likely go abroad during the two big holidays: Chinese New Year and the Golden Week.

• The Golden Week, which takes place this year from the 1st of October to the 7th of October. It is a public holiday to celebrate the Chinese’s national day. These are two moments where Chinese people travel the most, in mainland China or in other countries.

But they are not the only days off they can get!They have the New Year, from the 1st of January to the 3rd of January.• The Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese festival that aim to welcome spring, from the 4th of April to the 6th of April,• Labor Day, which is the same as a lot of other countries and takes place from the 1st of May to the 3rd of May• Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, here to welcome summer, from the 20th to the 22nd of June.

These events are all based on the lunar calendar. These are just some days, but people can take a long weekend to go and visit a foreign country. Even if people are less likely to go on holidays at these periods, some Chinese like to travel. They usually don’t go very far away and prefer to go on the nearby countries or cities (Hong Kong and Macau are much appreciated).

• The Chinese New Year, which takes place this year 2015 from the 19th of February to the 25th of February, also called the Spring Festival is an important Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. It celebrates each year a new animal. This year it welcomes the sheep.

Page 37

The Best Strategy To Attract Chinese Tourists

To benefit from that year round opportunity the best would be to put in place a targeted digital marketing strategy according to the time of the year and propose adapted tours and services according to the destination.Besides establishing partnerships with local Chinese travel agencies, these targeted digital marketing strategies must use the following online marketing tools:• SEO on Chinese Search Engines to increase the visibility of your website and services.• Be aware that e-tourism represents 70% of the holiday booking in China and adapt your strategy accordingly. Popular trip forums in China are Tuniu or Baidu Tieba.• Have a strong presence on Chinese tops social networks.

Page 38

(SACRAMENTO, CA - April 12, 2013) -Visit California activated California’s first direct-to-consumer destination marketing campaign as part of the Governor’s Trade and Investment Mission to China April 8-16, 2013. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Visit California president and CEO Caroline Beteta also announced the appointment of the Golden State’s first tourism ambassador from Mainland China, model-actress Miss Gao Yuanyuan, during a press conference in Shanghai. 

“California remains the go-to place for Chinese visitors who cross the Pacific to visit our country,” said Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. “These visitors are honored guests who carry on a long tradition of friendship between China and the Golden State.” 

Visit California Launches 1st Consumer Marketing Campaign in China

http://media.visitcalifornia.com/Story-Development/Press-Releases/PR-Item/?id=82746#sthash.dWvD0fhE.dpbs

Page 39

Some Great Travel Campaigns& Social Media Campaigns too!

Page 40

Las Vegas: What Happens Here Stays here(2003-ongoing)

(click to play the video)

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

This saying has resonated around the world since being introduced as part of a Vegas marketing campaign years ago.Naturally, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) continues to use the slogan to its full advantage after a year that saw Vegas bring in 41.1 million visitors, a record for the destination.

Las Vegas launched the third and final installment of the 2014-2015 "What Happens Here, Stays Here" campaign today with "The Secret."

Vegas now features more than 150,000 hotel rooms and almost 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space after popular hotels such as The Cromwell, Delano Las Vegas and SLS Las Vegas opened up in 2014.

There are more experiences than ever to prompt Vegas’ famous slogan.

Page 41

In 1969, as the story goes, a copywriter for Richmond, Va.-based advertising agency Martin & Woltz hit upon the idea for an advertising tagline designed to bring visitors to the state: “Virginia is for history lovers.” Thinking it too limiting, Martin and Woltz dropped the “history.” Good move, on their part. Forty years later, the “Virginia is for lovers” state tourism campaign is still going strong–and still ranking as one of the top travel campaigns in history. Who, after all, is against love?

Virginia is for Lovers (1969-ongoing)

(click to play the video)

Page 42

These spots use stunning photography to showcase all that New Zealand has to offer and welcome visitors to “the youngest country on earth.” The campaign, which is in its 16th year, is perfectly in tune with the green zeitgeist.

New Zealand: 100% Pure (1999-ongoing)

(click to play the video)

Page 43

Celebrating 60 years as an independent state, India’s Ministry of Tourism uses the brilliant colors and music of the Incredible India campaign to highlight the country’s own vibrancy. The spots are dialogue-free, but the photography speaks for itself. Do they make you want to visit?

Incredible India (2009)

(click to play the video)

Page 44

Jamaica needs great word of mouth to get visitors and the Jamaican Tourist Board knew it. The “Once you go, you know” spots, which launched in 2004, capitalize on the whole family travel experience of Jamaica–complete with bright smiles, fun music and exotic scenery.

Jamaica: Once You Go, You Know (2004-ongoing)

(click to play the video)

Page 45

New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation – Follow Your NOLA

This incredible, award-winning campaign from The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) was aimed at tourists who lived for new experiences and discoveries, and encouraged them to fulfil these desires in New Orleans. At the heart of the campaign was an ‘experiential website’ with an interactive map featuring places of interest that fit into seven different categories: rhythm, fun, curiosity, flavor, instincts, fire, and spirit.

This campaign was instrumental in rebranding New Orleans as a cultural wonderland filled with many diverse offerings, and having more to offer than just its famed French Quarter. Like the Tourism Australia campaign, NOTMC made the most of digital’s potential by encouraging users to share stories on social media, using digital PR and online media, and partnering with the content site BuzzFeed. The campaign was a resounding success, with 600 million online impressions leading to a 20 per cent increase in traffic to the city’s website, and New Orleans being touted as, ‘one of the top cities in the US’.

(click to play the video)

Page 46

Send Us Your Facebook Profiles Competition (Cape Town Tourism)

In September 2012, Cape Town Tourism launched the Send us your Facebook Profiles competition. The Facebook campaign urged travelers to send their profiles for a virtual tour of Cape Town’s least explored areas. After sending their Facebook profiles, entrants could create their own five-day Cape Town holiday, and watch their profiles explore the hidden gems of the Mother City.

After over 150 Point of View (POV) videos, 400 first person Facebook status updates and 10 000 POV holiday photos, the campaign registered 5800 page impressions and 41 000 monthly page visits. Through the campaign, tourist numbers in Cape Town rose by 4% and Table Mountain received its highest volumes in 83 years. The competition also helped Cape Town Tourism win the Best Overall Use of Social Media Award (Convention and Visitors Bureau) at the 2013 Travel + Leisure Social Media Awards.

(click to play the video)

Page 47

The Best Jobs in the World (Tourism Australia)

After the success of Tourism Queensland’s 2009, Best Job In The World campaign, Tourism Australia launched the reinvented and expanded Six Best Jobs In The World. By offering six dream jobs in six incredible destinations all across the country, this campaign gave its audience a myriad of different reasons as to why Australia is the perfect working holiday destination for young internationals.

This campaign’s strength was its incredible integration across multiple channels. On top of the social media competition promoted across Facebook and YouTube, Tourism Australia utilised everything from traditional PR tactics to partnerships with travel brands and job seeking sites, leading to one of the most memorable tourism campaigns to date.

The campaign ultimately generated 330,000 expressions of interest and 45,000 video entries from almost 200 different countries.

(click to play the video)

Page 48

Where Happiness Finds You (Tourism Fuji)

Tourism Fiji found a creative way to show Melbourne commuters exactly what they were missing. Tourism Fiji completely transformed a Melbourne Metro train, decorating its roof, floors, doors, walls and ends with beautiful, high-impact Fijian scenery to allow commuters to immerse themselves in dreams about where they’d rather be – probably relaxing on a beach in Fiji.

Tourism Fiji demonstrated how powerful it can be when a brand understand and connects with consumers’ actions and behavior. It noted that most people travelling into Melbourne CBD for work did so by train and used this to target them when they undoubtedly dreaming about how to escape the daily grind. With this campaign, Tourism Fiji encouraged commuters to find their happiness in Fiji, as Fiji is where happiness finds you.

(click to play the video)