Beijingers Become New York's Biggest Spenders

Expect the red carpet the next time your non-stop flight from Beijing to New York touches down. Beijingers will be the biggest spenders in the Big Apple in 2015, according to the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.

About 430,000 will visit New York this year, and spend a combined – wait for it – USD 1.3 billion. If ever any New York mayor or head of tourism said, "If we could just get every person in China to come to New York and spend one dollar," well, they are now right on the money.

Far fewer Beijingers will arrive in New York in 2015 – fewer by more than half – than other major cities like London, to which 977,000 will cross the pond, but our local folks will spend, spend, spend.

Aside from sharing a similar latitude (New York is actually slightly north of Beijing), the affinity between the cities goes back decades, with Beijing actor Jiang Wen (pictured) starring in the television series Beijingers in New York in 1993. At least someone could have given Jiang a decent haircut during his time in the city. The difference is that then, most Beijingers couldn't go to New York, whereas now, favorable visa policies and improved economic conditions make a walk down Broadway within reach of many of our neighbors.

Beijing ranked ninth among Asia-Pacific cities for visitors who stayed at least overnight, with 4.8 million in 2013, MasterCard's survey said. Other than that, with regards to Asia, the survey is all about Bangkok, which is battling London on all fronts as the world's most popular destination city.

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Photo: Trip Advisor, AAWW