The China National Tourist Office (CNTO) in New York has announced the launch of a new trade advertising campaign to reposition China in the U.S. market. The campaign was created following extensive U.S. market research, including an in-depth consumer survey conducted by PhoCusWright, of Americans who have recently traveled to or are interested in traveling to Asia.
Among the key findings were that China rated at the top of all Asian destinations for its history and “bucket list” sites such as the Great Wall and Forbidden City. At the same time, Americans appear to know very little about the multitude of other experiences they could enjoy in the vast country.
“The first part of our new strategy to broaden China’s appeal to U.S. travelers was to enhance our country’s brand,” said Mr. Yaping Xue, director of the China National Tourist Office. “Our new logo evokes a sense of both traditional and contemporary China with the tagline ‘China Like Never Before.’ Following our very successful launch of the new branding, we are now working with tour operators and travel agents to broaden China’s travel portfolio for their clients.”
The new campaign focuses on four niches: luxury, soft adventure, educational and senior travel. The objective is to promote these and other niches to attract more Americans to visit China and go “off the beaten path” to enjoy a wide range of active and cultural experiences. Each advertisement, aimed at first-time and repeat visitors alike, focuses on the “Ancient Treasures. Modern Wonders” of China. The first trade ads will run this month, followed in the spring of 2014 with a consumer campaign that will adopt the same theme.