In a survey conducted among 1,000 Chinese adults last month by Morning Consult, COVID-19, violent crime and terrorism are the top three reasons Chinese travelers avoid visiting the U.S. This affects tourism dollars and limits opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges. Some 57 percent of respondents reported that violent crime is the reason they might avoid traveling to the U.S, reports Axios. Fifty-two percent said they would avoid U.S. tourism because of possible terrorism.
U.S. gun violence often makes front-page news in China. Survey respondents who have heard of the Uvalde, Tx., school shooting were more likely to avoid travel due to gun violence. The survey "shows that alarmist, consistent coverage of all the violent things that happen in the U.S. might be influencing Chinese people's thinking," said Scott Moskowitz of Morning Consult.