Chinese Influencers Return to the Golden State for Play

As Visit California reenters the Chinese market with its new Ultimate Playground brand positioning and "Let’s Play" campaign, the organization hosted four top-tier influencers on playful itineraries across the state.

These marked the first influencer trips from China since the pandemic. The itineraries shown the spotlight on the state’s open-minded culture, vast and diverse offerings and endless ways to play with ready-to-travel Chinese consumers. The trips also coincided with the organization’s official launch of its RED/Xiaohongshu account — China’s newest and fastest-growing social media platforms — to maximize engagement and exposure.

The four influencers included:

• Outdoor/Roadtrip: Simon & Anna, (RED: 186k followers; Douyin: 1.12 million followers)
• Food/Wine: Alex Bao (Super Bao) (RED: 96k; Weibo: 1.27 million)
• Culture/Lifestyle: Xinyan Zhang (RED: 106.2K; Weibo: 2.21 million)
• Culture/Lifestyle: Tao (RED: 757k; Weibo: 1.12 million)

Simon & Anna started in Monterey County with the Monterey Plaza Hotel as a home base. In Monterey they drove vintage cars down 17-mile drive, kayaked in the Pacific and explored Big Sur. They moved their way down to Los Angeles where they stayed at the Moxy Hotel and explored downtown Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, food and wine creator Alex Bao started his trip in Napa Valley. He soared above the valley on a hot air balloon ride, took a ride on the Napa Valley wine train and enjoyed the region’s world-class wine and food before making his way to Tri-Valley and San Francisco.

Xinyan and Tao hit the desert exploring the region’s arts and culture including the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, El Paseo Shopping District, Superbloom and much more. Xinyan and Tao also visited Temecula Wine Country where they were able to sip on the region’s wine, ride a hot air balloon and go horseback riding before heading to San Diego. There, the influencer’s checked out the new Lafayette hotel, hit the water and had oceanfront meals.

Visit California is excited to welcome back Chinese media and influencer to the state.