A Tourism Mission which took place April 22- 29, brought together educators and tourism professionals in the travel industry field, organized by Sunels International Inc., a business consulting firm focused on identifying and developing opportunities between China and the U.S. by working with the governments, institutions, agencies in both countries.
While this tourism mission is exploratory, Sunels International has been very successful in surfacing "unrealized potential" for business exchange and cooperation between China and the U.S. In addition to this Tourism Mission, to date, Lee has been successful conducting previous missions that focused on both the banking and automotive industries.
The Mission was centered around industry topics such as green energy, cost containment and management systems, as well as the new field of social media.
An article on Inventor Spot covering this mission makes a strong case for social media as being one of the prime opportunities between the two countries in the travel sector. It discusses how the social networks differ in China, and how Chinese travel companies are beginning to utilize them effectively to reach the large and quickly growing pool of Chinese domestic and outbound travelers.
For a detailed analysis of what is occurring on the travel social media scene in China, read US Tourism Mission Takes Social Media To China by Ron Callari.