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America’S Destination Image As Seen Through Chinese Outbound Tourists’ Eyes, Xian (Robert) Li, Svetlana Stepchenkova

Travel and Tourism Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally

The paper attempts to obtain a mental picture of the United States as a travel destination in the collective mind of Chinese travelers, and compare image perceptions of different groups of past and potential U.S. travelers. Preliminary findings of this study highlighted that, overall, Chinese outbound tourists’ perception of America is highly urban, featuring advanced economic development, open and democratic system, high technology, and big cities. Further, the four groups of respondents reported somewhat different perceptions of the U.S., which may correspond to their different travel experiences, and different levels of familiarity with the U.S.