Seattle To Set Up China Travel Office In Beijing

The Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Port of Seattle, and the Washington State Tourism Office have jointly announced that they will formally set up a travel office in Beijing on July 1, 2008.

Over the next year, the three organizations will hold a series of programs including setting up Chinese websites, advertisements, tourism promotion meeting, organizing media groups and industrial delegations, as well as marketing plans targeting the consumer market.

On June 9, 2008, Hainan Airlines launched a non-stop route between Beijing and Seattle with a single flight time of ten and a half hours, which can be more convenient for passengers between the two destinations. The direct flight from Seattle to Beijing will be a prime connector for neighboring northwest markets in the United States, such as Spokane, Portland, Boise, and Las Vegas, none of which have nonstop flights to China. The nonstop flight will operate four times weekly – on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.