A group of Chinese watch birds at Bird Island in Saipan. Liu Jie and Zhang Peijian/China Daily

"Among the global tourists (to the US) we received, Chinese visitors accounted for 50 percent, becoming the biggest force," says Roland Shi, a tour guide from L&L Travel in New York.

But Chinese are expanding their explorations.

About 40 percent say they visited a US national park.

More than 20 US destinations' tourism departments, including Texas, Minnesota, Hawaii and California, staged promotional events in Shanghai, riding the momentum of Chinese President Xi Jinping's announcement of the tourism year during his US visit this September.

US authorities will support Chinese travel agencies' route development.

Ctrip has signed deals for next year with tourism authorities from Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Travel agencies also hope to extend beyond gateways by diversifying routes by theme.

They'll create itineraries designed around road trips, islands, sports, shopping and museums next year.

Hawaii, Guam and Saipan are expected to be leading US destinations for Chinese in 2016, Yan says.

Individual travelers to the islands have already doubled this year.

Ctrip will develop group trips for fewer than 20 next year.

It will offer a 12-day group trip covering Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Hawaii from Shanghai in January.