VB Presence Grows in Chinese Social Media Platform, Weibo

The Virginia Beach tourism Weibo social media account recently secured 557,618 followers thanks to more than 1,100 posts promoting the “Live the Life” vacation brand. The Pacific Asia Travel Association, which analyzes international travel and tourism trends in the Asia-Pacific region, forecasts that nearly five million Chinese travelers will visit the U.S. each year by 2020 with an annual growth rate of about 13 percent during the next five years. By 2020, China will be the largest international source market for the U.S. excluding Canada and Mexico. This will cause a pivotal shift in the visitor pie chart that has been dominated by Japan and the U.K. for decades. In 2016, the Chinese traveler market was the number one market for the Capital Region USA with more than 300,000 Chinese arrivals. It is important for Virginia Beach to have this rapidly growing market as a focus in its International marketing strategy. China currently ranks in the top five markets visiting our region. Showcasing unique experiences, here is a sampling of the CVB’s recent social media efforts in China to raise awareness of Virginia Beach as a fun, world-class leisure vacation destination.