With the Spring Festival holidays approaching, many Chinese have signed up for travel packages to the United States, adding to a major source of US tourism.

Chinese and US travel agents closely monitor the burgeoning market of middle-class Chinese families heading for trips during an otherwise slow winter season for US tourism.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission, the state's official travel promoter, and four Chinese tourism companies have jointly launched a project with the goal of attracting 1,500 Spring Festival vacationers from China.