Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell toasts a visiting Chinese delegation as they visited Galer Estate Winery in East Marlborough.
Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell and the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau Executive Director, Susan Hamley recently hosted a delegation from China as part of an ongoing and growing relationship between the county and China. The trip was facilitated by James Zhang, President, Sino-America Business & Travel Association.
Commissioner Farrell visited China in 2014 and was pleased to welcome a group from Yangzhou to Chester County. This group included Mr. ZhiJian Wang, Deputy Mayor of Yangzhou, representatives from high profile gardens, and tourism officials. “We have had four delegations from China visit Chester County in the past six months,” states Farrell. “This was the first delegation, from Yangzhou however, which borders the provincial capital of Nanjing on China’s East Coast. Whereas previous delegations have focused on business and investment opportunities in Chester County, this Yangzhou delegation was most interested in tourism, which is also an economic driver.”
The ten visitors were enchanted by Longwood Gardens’ beauty, particularly the unique garden designs. They were also intrigued by a tour of the charming Galer Estate Winery, led by owners Brad and Lele Galer, and a tasting of Galer’s award-winning wines, made with locally grown grapes.
Hamley believes there to be great potential from China in tourism. “Nearly 2.2 million Chinese visitors traveled to the United States in 2014, which is a 21% increase over 2013. It is anticipated that by 2019 China will become the third largest inbound market to the United States. China is already #2 in Chester County and we can expect further growth with the new ten-year visa,” she states.
The Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, created in 1963, is a not-for-profit, independent organization that serves as the official Tourism Promotion Agency for Chester County. The Bureau is responsible for marketing Chester County and the Brandywine Valley to individual domestic and international leisure travelers; group tour, meeting and event planners; sports tournament producers and travel writers. The Bureau maintains the Brandywine Valley Tourism Information Center at 300 Greenwood Road in Kennett Square. The center welcomes visitors daily from 9am – 5pm.
