Chinese tourism to US drops for 1st time in 15 years

Chinese travel to the U.S. is falling after more than a decade of rapid growth. And that has cities, malls and other tourist spots scrambling to reverse the trend.

Travel from China to the U.S. fell 5.7% in 2018 to 2.9 million visitors, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. It was the first time since 2003 that Chinese travel to the U.S. slipped from the prior year.

Trade tensions with the U.S. as well as economic uncertainty in China are among the reasons for the slowdown.

China commands some of the highest tourism traffic to the U.S. and any falloff will be felt by destinations that rely on Chinese spending power. Experts say the tourism industry must do more to keep up with Chinese travelers and their changing needs.