Chairman Noel Irwin Hentschel Joined by China and U.S. Government Officials to Open ATI Beijing Representation Office for CHINAMERICA TOURISM.

BEIJING -- Noel Irwin Hentschel, Chairman, AmericanTours International (ATI), hosted the official opening Tuesday (18) of the travel company's Beijing Representation Office for CHINAMERICA TOURISM. The opening ceremony celebration at the St. Regis Hotel in Beijing was joined by senior China and U.S. government officials, principals of the international tourism industry and distinguished China business leaders.

Ray Chen, respected China Central Television (CCTV) news anchor, served as master of ceremonies with ATI/CHINAMERICA TOURISM Vice President Wei Yongching of the company's newly opened Beijing office. Chairman Hentschel joined them in welcoming the list of prominent guests gathered to celebrate the historic occasion.

Congratulatory speeches were offered by an array of highly respected USA and China government officials. Remarks made by China Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) Deputy Director General Mr. Xu Jin were the most descriptive of the importance of the friendship between the U.S. and China for trade and tourism. He expressed great respect for Hentschel and her efforts in fostering the most important element of doing business in China, 'Guan Xi' (relationships). He also thanked Hentschel and the ATI team for their efforts with the recent earthquake, noting that Hentschel was the first American responder at the scene in the devastated Sichuan Province. On behalf of CNTA Foreign Affairs Division Director of Marketing and Communication Mr. Wu Yue Zhong also offered strong support to ATI in working together to promote tourism between the USA and China with ATI.

Official representatives of the US Department of Commerce and US State Department also offered congratulatory remarks acknowledging the longstanding reputation of ATI as the only American-owned Visit USA Travel Organization established in China. They expressed their support and appreciation of the America Training Center established by ATI for CHINAMERICA TOURISM as being visionary and fulfilling a vital need for the United States in the Chinese market.

"As a longtime member of the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) AmericanTours International is privileged with the opportunity to represent the entire United States on the China tourism market and to work with CHINAMERICA Tourism's founding partners, the Great State of Pennsylvania and the 'Birthplace of America' historic Philadelphia," Hentschel stated. "We look forward to promoting more of America's great destinations and products through in-depth destination training programs to operators throughout China."

Ken Wong, Executive Member of the Board of the State of Pennsylvania, joined Fritz Smith, responsible for tourism to the City of Philadelphia, to say how pleased they were to see their state "join CHINAMERICA TOURISM and be first on the ground with ATI to promote travel and trade programs in the growing Chinese market."

CHINAMERICA TOURISM provides intensive destination training, promotion and product development. As a central part of CHINAMERICA TOURISM, ATI has established "America's Training Center" in the heart of Beijing with maps and collateral in Chinese and permission from the Chinese government to represent and promote products and destinations of all 50 United States. ATI is also the only travel company bringing Americans to China and Chinese to America, generating business and helping the economy and creating jobs in both countries.

ATI works with the tour operators in China to develop products including customized Chinese-speaking motor coach tours with ATI native-Chinese guides, drive America itineraries in the Chinese language with 24/7 Chinese-speaking assistance for all 50 States and a Chinese language website covering product of all of America from coast to coast. ATI has a Chinese-speaking team to meet, greet and service the Chinese visitors to America. ATI partners with AAA and CAA to market travel to China to their 50 million members.

Co-founded in 1977 by Chairman Noel Irwin Hentschel and President Michael Fitzpatrick, ATI is America's largest American-owned, privately held, inbound/outbound tourism and marketing organization, annually serving one-million visitors from countries around the world and is responsible for bringing $3 billion into the U.S. economy, annually. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the travel company has offices in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Orlando, Honolulu, Maui and Beijing.