Visa issues keeping thousands of Chinese tourists from Hawaii

Rejected visa applications are keeping thousands of Chinese tourists from visiting Hawaii.

More than 2,000 of the 6,000 Nu Skin distributors in China and Hong Kong that were planning to attend a conference in Hawaii were not able to attend because of visa troubles, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. The convention of the direct marketing company that sells personal care products next month is slated to be Hawaii’s largest incentive travel group from China.

Typically, 10 per cent to 15 per cent of visa applicants for large groups travelling to Hawaii get denied, but the Nu Skin rate was significantly higher.

Hawaii and other US cities looking to increase Chinese tourism have been working with the US Travel Association to advocate for visa improvements. Since a 2011 China US Tourism Leadership Summit was held in Kailua-Kona, reductions in visa processing times and the introduction of non-stop flights and longer-term visas helped spark growth.

Some travel officials say they are concerned about the Trump administration’s effect on travel. Reene Ho-Phang, managing director of Hawaii Tourism China, said the executive order limiting travel from specific regions of the Middle East and Africa may not be aimed at Asia, but it still creates unease for Chinese visitors who fear travel restrictions could worsen.