NTA To Develop Visit USA Center in Shanghai

The National Tour Association (NTA) has been awarded a Market Development Cooperator Program award to create a Visit USA Center, to be co-located with the United States Commercial Service in Shanghai, China. The center will promote group leisure travel to the U.S. Shanghai is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and home to more than 20 million people.

The NTA reports that programs and services that will be available from the Visit USA Center include distribution of information on U.S. destinations, development of a Chinese-language website to promote leisure group travel, and creation of mini-trade shows and road shows to promote the U.S. as a destination.

The establishment of the Visit USA center in Shanghai will allow the NTA to further its work with the U.S. incoming market from China, the association said. With its China Inbound Program, NTA facilitates group leisure travel inbound to the U.S. The NTA has a Memorandum of Understanding established between the U.S. and Chinese governments in December 2007. NTA also maintains the only list of U.S. operators approved to work with Chinese travel agents to facilitate inbound travel.

The project funding period begins in January with the goal of an operational office by April 2010. Visit www.NTAonline.com.