Florida targeting Chinese tourists

FORT MYERS, Fla.- From our sunny skies to our beaches, Southwest Florida is one of the top tourist spots in the state.
Soon, we could soon attract a whole new population to our little paradise.

Typically, most people say the sunshine and beaches are the best parts of Southwest Florida. But what would someone from China say?

“The air is very clean, the environment is very quite,” said Frank We.

WINK News followed a group of Chinese journalists visiting Fort Myers. They did things they have never done before like kayaking, shelling, and seeing manatees.

“If we promote it in the proper way I think it will attract more and more people to come here,” said one Chinese journalist.

The State of Florida is spending millions trying to tap in to the Chinese tourism industry.

“In 2020, outbound tourists from China are expected to exceed 100 million,” said Francesca Donlin with the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau.

The Lee County Visitor and Visitor and Convention Bureau is trying to catch their eye and they they expect the Chinese to start flocking here. Donlin says Chinese tourists tend to stay longer and spend more money than the average vacationer.

“They also travel in September and October, and that is our off-season, that is when it is quiet here,” said Donlin.

Right now, Chinese vacation hotspots are places like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“But here it is very quiet, amazing and very natural,” said Ke.

“Where you can abandon the laptop, the cell phone, the emails,” said Brian Han with Visit Florida’s China office.

Now there is a push to try and get airline companies to add direct flights to and from Florida from southwest China.