Reader comments
China goes West: Utah companies prepare for more Chinese tourists

Someone needs to inform Chinese run tour companies that they need to provide their guests with water in summer in the southern Utah region- last year watching a busload of overly warmly dressed late middle aged Chinese tourists without water bottles struggling along trails in Arches in mid summer pointed out to me that some of the tour operators are as reckless with their customers as some of the Chinese manufacturers are with consumer health. Some basic policies should be established and tour operators should be encouraged to make sure their customers are not hiking in summer heat without access to any water.

Think Japanese tourists... only not as well informed. It is good to see the Chinese come; after all, their scientists are in our university labs.

It's good to see the Chinese taking an interest in the US, especially since they now own it.

Chinese tourists in Utah. Good news for the tourism industry!

This is our opportunity to learn how to serve the Chinese. China has surpassed the US in exports. By 2050 China will has the world's largest economy.

Remember the golden rule. He with the gold, rules.

Technically, don't they actually come eastward to get here? :) Just a funny thought.

I do not forsee that Utah will become a destination of choice for many Chinese tourists as most of them prefer gambling and shopping. So, for many Chinese the closest they will get to Utah will be Las Vegas.

very interesting comments. A very good example of stereotyping. The article also exhibits a real lack of understanding. The comment of every person coming once shows a lack of understanding of China. 900 million Chinese live in the countryside and many earn less than 500 US dollars a year. They are not concerned about Utah. They want to feed their families and give them a better life. The chinese are an amazing people. There is a big difference between the Chinese people and the Chinese government.

I like to give a cheery "ni hao ma" when their tour buses stop at the Albertsons at North Temple and 9th West.

Sure, Yellowstone is fun but watching a gwai lo/yang kuei try to speak Chinese is more fun.

But you're missing the point, China's current middle class is larger than the entire US population. I just moved back from Shanghai, and I can tell you that there are many well-to-do mainlanders, driving BMWs (actually their drivers drive the BMWs for them) and shop at stores in the malls that I couldn't afford on a generous expat package. They have money, and they like to spend it. San Francisco and Las Vegas are two obvious hot spots for their business, but it wouldn't be a stretch to lure them through Utah with a combo package that included Yellowstone and/or Mount Rushmore...

I agree with all of you but also disagree as well. I have been going to China since 1986 and have lived as an expat in Shanghai for about 4-years...Everyone is different and you cannot simply group "them" as you say in one group.

I think we had better start preparing to welcome a new group of people as "Chinese speaking" tourists and help pull our economy out of this current slump. It's no joke, if the first year of Chinese speaking tourists go back home and do nothing but complain about how we are not very organized and several articles reach the papers back in China. Then much of the possible revenue we could have earned from their business will be loss. And it will be difficult to recapture it!

And yes, Vegas and Rodeo drive will be most in demand..