KHM Travel Group’s Industry Affairs Specialist Bill Coyle, along with 11 travel agents, had the opportunity to attend a 4-day destination immersion event in Guizhou, China. Guizhou hosted the ASTA China Summit 2017 to promote American tourism to the region . In total, 150 travel professionals were invited to this unique event. Because of our premium membership with ASTA, KHM Travel Group was able to give 18 scholarships to our agents and their guests for this enriching experience.
Guizhou is a province located in the southwestern region of China; its capital is Guiyang, which is where the Summit was held. Guizhou is becoming more popular to tourists because of its colorful and rich folk cultures, warm hospitality, and fantastic scenic views. Guizhou is known for its ideal climate which is highly attractive to all tourists. The city of Guiyang is surrounded by trees and mountains which provides the best air quality in all of China.
“It’s amazing,” said Bill, “When traveling to China, almost everyone wears masks in urban areas , except in the Guizhou province!”
Bill was specifically impressed by Guizhou’s modern and lively towns. Many of the towns featured new construction. In every restaurant and boutique, the locals are friendly, engaging, and excited to earn business. Most of the locals are young professionals who are eager to welcome tourists. Bill was fascinated with the overall atmosphere of Guizhou.
“Travel agents learned that every expectation of traveling to China was incomparable to what we were able to experience,” Bill added.
Our agents were offered pre- and post-excursions around the Summit event to further explore the province. The agents that attended learned of the numerous new expeditions and tours to offer to their clients. They traveled to famous waterfalls, the Great Wall of China, and ancient Chinese towns.
During the Summit, all the agents attended special presentations, educational sessions, and a travel tradeshow. Authentic food, cultural presentations, and performances highlighted these seminars. Agents were also taught major selling points and traveling tips for China, such as electricity conversions, best tipping practices, forms of payments, proper attire, and much more.
“Before attending this Summit, I would have never known that I needed another form of currency other than Visa or Mastercard,” Bill laughed, “Thank goodness I have Apple Pay!”
Following the informational courses, all attendees participated in two full days of sightseeing. Although Guizhou is a newly emerging destination, locals are very knowledgeable and excited to share their history. Museums and live performances highlight cultural traditions. For instance, one of China’s main exports is clothing. During a tour, Bill and the agents were able to visit a textile museum where they learned about the vast changes in clothing dating back to the 13th century.
KHM Travel Group was honored to be invited to the ASTA China Summit 2017. This trip fully immersed our agents in one of China’s best kept secret, Guizhou. In 2018, KHM Travel Group is looking forward to returning to China at next year’s ASTA China Summit with more of our travel agents!
To view more great photos from the event, visit ASTA’s Flickr album.
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