Visa exemption boosts Chinese travel interest in the U.S., with New York being the hottest destination and Los Angeles coming in second

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

Since November 2012, the U.S. visa waiver program officially took effect. At the one-month anniversary of the program’s implementation, global online hotel service provider Hotels.com observed that the rate at which users searched for U.S. hotels on the site rose rapidly. Since Taiwan was announced to join the visa waiver program in October of this year, it has already begun to drive a surge in travel to the United States. The search rate that month increased by 123% compared to October of last year. After the waiver took effect, the search rate in November of this year grew by 110% compared to the same period last year. Among these, New York saw a search growth rate of 154% compared to the same period last year, making it the most popular city among users for searching travel accommodation.

The U.S. visa waiver program went into effect in November, and with the approach of year-end holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Lunar New Year, the search rates for hotels in U.S. cities have risen rapidly recently. According to Hotels.com statistics from November this year, fashion capital New York is the city with the highest search rate among users, showing a 154% increase in search rate compared to November of the previous year. The next most popular is Los Angeles, home to numerous famous Hollywood celebrities, with a growth rate of 151%. San Francisco, known for the Golden Gate Bridge, ranks third, while the entertainment hub of Las Vegas comes in fourth. In addition, Hawaiian Airlines, seeing the potential of the Taiwanese market, plans to launch direct flights starting July 2013, which has also helped push Hawaii into the top five most-searched destinations.

Pefei Chuang, Senior Marketing Manager of Hotels.com Greater China, said: “The U.S. visa waiver program brings convenience to Taiwanese travelers and has led to explosive growth in the travel market. It will make travel itineraries and durations to the U.S. more diverse, greatly enhancing the autonomy of Taiwanese travelers.”