China, Philippines is Focus of SFO Economic/Tourism Czar
March 23, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO — Last month, United Airlines won an industry war when the federal government chose them for the potentially lucrative annual $200 million nonstop route between Beijing and Washington, D.C.
For Bill Lee, in his nearly two-year-old post as San Francisco International Airport (SFO) director of Economic and Tourism Development, that reflects the projected hot market of 100 million Chinese travelers by 2020, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization last year. In 2006, only 34.1 million Chinese traveled.
“China manufacturing is going upscale,” Lee said. “They want to come here for bio tech, high tech, digital arts and environmental development. We have that in S.F. and the Bay Area.”
For SFO in 2005, the growth area was in 3.8 million visitors to and from Asia out of more than 8 million international travelers. While trips to and from Asia went up 3.8 percent, domestic travel was flat, according to Lee. And every Asian tourist coming through the airport gates helps the city’s budget.
“Every passenger comes here and stays one night at a hotel. Think of the average hotel room is $170 per night. So we add another 14% hotel tax that goes back to the city. They get to travel into the city, either by taxi or by BART. We make money,” Lee said.
Last March, Lee facilitated a visit of 15 delegates, including Wuhan’s vice mayor and his entourage representing the largest city in central China. The group flew into SFO and then lodged in the city’s hotels, and patronized restaurants that generated tens of thousands of dollars in spending over five days, said Myriam Chen, CEO of the information technology consultancy LineBeyond.
“Bill not only sent invitation letters,” wrote Chen, but he also was “instrumental” in having the delegation come through SFO and arranged stays in local hotels.
However, getting visitors is almost as much difficulty as getting nail clippers passed through Homeland Security.
“The number one issue for tourist travel from China to the U.S. right now is getting their visas,” said Lee. “The number one issue with China’s government people is visas, too. The reason for this is many of the Chinese people have not traveled outside of the country.”
Lee facilitates the Chinese passports and U.S. visas with an invitation letter like he did for Chen’s LineBeyond, but with a hook that China’s tourists use SFO and stay in the city’s hotels. Likewise, he has assisted 100 Chinese game designers who will come to town in March from CMP Game Group.
“The goal is to bring more tourists, government officials and business people,” said Lee, who added, “We are the great link to China. The people in China always considered us as ‘Gold Mountain.’”
There are 550,000 Chinese Americans who represent one in five Bay Area residents, according to California’s Department of Finance.
Lee also taps into the Bay Area’s 400,000 Filipinos representing the largest Filipino community outside the Philippines.
Mayor Gavin Newsom and Dennis Normandy, chairman of the S.F.-Manila Sister City Committee, last November led a 148-member delegation to Manila, on a mission to increase Philippine airline, real estate and banking presence in the city.
“What was very good, particularly, was that Bill being of Chinese ancestry connected very well with [Dr. Lucio Tan, owner of Philippine Airlines]. It evolved into a friendship. I was delighted to introduce the two,” said Normandy.
“Our contacts went all the way up to the president [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] of the Philippines. We had a private audience, aside from a full blown state-type dinner,” he said.
One outcome has been that Philippine Airlines, acquiring four new planes, will boost weekly flights to SFO from seven to eight, and generate more airport and hotel occupancy taxes for San Francisco.
The former Baltimore, Maryland, resident also has a portfolio that Asian officials and entrepreneurs consult: 10 years as a city manager — including San Francisco’s top post of Chief Administrative Officer. He also sits on the powerful S.F. Planning Commission and is a S.F. Convention and Visitors Board member.
State Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, who has traveled to Asia with Lee, found him “extremely knowledgeable,” and state Senator Gloria Romero appointed him to the Foreign Trade Investment panel, tasked with reopening state trade offices around the world.
“The Far East is different than the U.S. They have what you call guanxi [connections],” said Lee. “I’m like a one-stop shop.”
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