Assistant Secretary Grant T. Harris Leads U.S. Delegation to 2024 U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit to Promote U.S. Travel and Tourism and Enhance People-to-People Ties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Email: publicaffairs@trade.gov
Phone: 202-482-3809

WASHINGTON - From May 21-23, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis Grant T. Harris will travel to Xi’an, People’s Republic of China (PRC), where he will lead the U.S. delegation to the 14th U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit.  The Summit will underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthen the U.S. travel and tourism sector and enhance people-to-people exchanges with China.  As announced in August 2023 by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and former PRC Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping, the Summit will convene for the first time since 2019 and bring together American and Chinese public and private sector travel and tourism leaders to support people-to-people connections and forge partnerships that will foster economic growth in both countries.

“Since day one of the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce has made it a top priority to rebuild the travel and tourism sector in a way that spurs inclusive economic growth, creates good jobs, and bolsters conservation and sustainability,” said Assistant Secretary Harris. “This Summit is an opportunity to increase international visitation to the United States, which is important to jobs and communities across the country.”

Prior to the pandemic, the United States welcomed nearly 3 million Chinese visitors annually, who spent $33 billion while visiting the country. Restoring Chinese visitation to 2019 levels would add over 50,000 direct American jobs. Including indirect jobs and students studying in the United States, that number increases to an estimated 400,000 American jobs.

In 2023, travel and tourism was the second-largest services export (including exports of travel and air passenger transport services) for the United States and accounted for 21% of all U.S. services exports. The U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit—which is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the PRC in coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce and Brand USA—represents a significant milestone in bilateral cooperation and exchange in the travel and tourism sector.  Assistant Secretary Harris is the most senior official to lead the U.S. delegation in the history of U.S.-China travel and tourism summits, further demonstrating the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to the growth and vitality of the travel and tourism sector.

The National Travel and Tourism Office sits within the Industry and Analysis business unit in the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce.  For more information on the federal government’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy or official U.S. travel and tourism statistics and research programs, please visit: https://www.trade.gov/national-travel-and-tourism-office.

 

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