WE Marketing aims to make California top US destination for mainland tourists

WE Marketing will be responsible for creative, media and social-media duties, with the aim of promoting California as the top-of-mind holiday destination for mainland tourists in the US.

The agency will work closely with San Francisco-based global lead agency MeringCarson and Visit California’s trade partners to develop a China strategy and integrated campaigns over the next few months. 

Viveca Chan, chairman and CEO of WE Marketing and WE Engage told Campaign Asia-Pacific that Mainland Chinese tourists may know California for its sunshine and beaches, and they know New York, Las Vegas, and Hollywood, "but they don't necessary know Hollywood is actually in California and what California offers in terms of holiday-making".

She said California offers mainland tourists many diverse attractions—from Disneyland and Universal Studios, to National Parks, beaches, golf course, redwood forests, vineyards in Napa Valley and the hi-tech Silicon Valley. "It offers a carefree and advanced culture," she added.

 

Tourists from mature markets such as Europe prefer to be independent travellers, while mainland Chinese tourists prefer holiday packages and guidance, she added.

The agency's task is to develop campaigns that build more awareness of California as a top travel destination among mainland tourists.

According to an article in chinesetouristsinamerica.com last March, the US Department of Commerce estimates that arrivals from China will increase by approximately 274 per cent between 2012 and 2016. Last year, arrivals from mainland China were estimated at 1,098,000 and expected to top 3 million by 2016. The top reason Chinese tourists go to the US for is shopping, acording to Pierre Gervois, president and CEO of China Elite Focus, as quoted in the article.

Chan and two other key members of the team will be in San Francisco next week to attend the annual Outlook Forum and meet with hundreds of forum attendees representing Californian brands interested in attracting Chinese tourists.

WE Marketing Group has worked on other tourism-related accounts, including Hong Kong Ocean Park, and is currently the Asia-Pacific hub agency for Lufthansa. The agency has also been working with US brands such as Estée Lauder.