The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau has set up a China office in Beijing. This is the first time that a municipal tourism promoting office from the United States opened in China.

Antonio R. Villaraigosa, mayor of L.A., said that the start of this office is a highlight for the cooperation between the two sides of the Pacific Ocean in tourism and economics. Villaraigosa said that Chinese tourists are the fastest growing source for L.A.'s international tourism market, and the average time that Chinese tourists stay in L.A. is about three days.

The new office will focus on expanding the cooperation range in business and tourism between China and the United States, and assisting L.A. to receive tourists from China.

The United States will soon become an approved destination for China travel groups, which will open more opportunites for the China outbound market.