Travel agents return to China after ‘selling Las Vegas’ trip

A group of Chinese travel agents returned to China on Monday after touring Las Vegas, Arizona and Hawaii.

“Seeing Las Vegas is selling Las Vegas,” said Heidi Hayes, spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

To increase Chinese tourism to Las Vegas, the LVCVA hosted about 10 general managers throughout the week from a leading travel agency in China, called China International Travel Service, with help from Hainan and Hawaiian airlines.

Hainan Airlines, the largest privately owned airline in China, began nonstop service between Beijing and Las Vegas in December. It’s the first airline to offer nonstop service from mainland China to Las Vegas.

“The Chinese market is very important to us,” Hayes said. “We partnered with Hawaiian Airlines because many long-haul travelers do multiple destinations.”

The group of travel agents spent a few days in Maui and Oahu in Hawaii and arrived in Las Vegas last Tuesday.

Resorts and other tourist-driven businesses around Nevada submitted several offers to the LVCVA about the kind of complimentary items — like accommodations, meals, shows, tours and transportation — that they could offer the tourism group during their stay.

The authority chose at least eight experiences for the group, ranging from a helicopter tour to Cirque du Soleil’s “Ka” to shopping at the Fashion Show mall.

Hayes said having experienced those things themselves will help the travel agents better sell the packages to possible travelers.

“We like to position Las Vegas as a hub and gateway to the west. Fly into Vegas, enjoy the destination and then it’s a short trip to California, Grand Canyon, Utah, etc.,” Hayes said.

The LVCVA sales team hosts a number of these so-called “familiarization trips” for travel agents from all over the world and partners with many different airlines to help support them.

“Last year, our sales team conducted more than 60 FAMs, hosting nearly 1,400 individuals (tour operators, product managers, travel agents and meetings planners) from all over the world,” Hayes said via email.

Contact Nicole Raz at nraz@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4512. Follow @JournalistNikki on Twitter.