Florida's Gulf Beaches Marketed to China

Fort De Soto and the Pinellas Beaches are being introduced to a brand-new market: Chinese tourists.

China is the world's fastest-growing tourism market, though a mere 231,000 Chinese tourists travel to the Sunshine State now.

D.T. Minich aims to change that.

He just traveled to the nation to spread the message about Florida attractions, particularly the beaches of Pinellas County, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Minich, executive director of the Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Tampa Bay Times:

"When they saw the blue skies and pure water and white sandy beaches, they were just like 'Wow.' They were blown away. A couple of people asked me if this was real."

Visit Florida estimates that 90 million Chinese will travel overseas in 2013. If the numbers continue, they will reach 200 million by 2025. Florida now captures just a tiny portion of that market, and tourism officials only started traveling to China in 2006 to spread the warm message of the Sunshine State.

Minich's sales pitch to Chinese tourists is to visit the theme parks in Orlando first, then head to the relaxing beaches of Pinellas County, according to the Times. The same formula has worked with European visitors.

Minich was part of a Florida tourism delegation hoping to bolster visits by Chinese vacationers.

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