The group found it difficult to make the little Terracotta Warrior figurines, so it was “mind-blowing“ to think that ancient Chinese people built them by hand, she said, noting that she was impressed by their wisdom.

　　Gabriel Valeriano, a marketing assistant at California-based Elite Voyages, said: “In China, there are high-speed trains from one city to another, and many places have subways and public buses. Public transportation is easy and we do not always need to rent a car.“

　　Valeriano said that in-depth tourism connecting cities like Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing and Shanghai would be attractive to his clients. “People should see the past, present and future of China,“ he added.

　　He said that traveling to Asia has become more popular as the country has had more exposure on social media in recent years, and that China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy is beneficial to the development of Asia cruise tours.

　　“We are designing cruise tours of over 10 days to Asia, which connect countries including China, Japan and the Republic of Korea,“ he said, adding that tourists can stay in each country for a few days and experience different cultures.

　　A member of a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents takes selfies at the Summer Palace in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Chenjie)

　　CTG Travel employee Bo Lin said that the travel agent tour aimed to boost travel from the United States to China and reinforce the outcomes of the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit held in Xi'an in May. CTG Travel is one of the organizers of the trip.