COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL APRIL 18, 2018 3A
Grovers
return from
China
After 10 whirlwind days overseas,
chamber of commerce director
Travis Palmer talks China
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Travis Palmer was walking
past a booth at a conference for
chamber of commerce adminis-
trators nearly two years ago and
got an idea.
"It was a company that spe-
cialized in sending groups to
China," he said, fresh back from
the journey and still battling jet-
lag.
The initial informational
meeting for the trip drew in 70
interested residents and two
weeks ago, 37 boarded a plane
for the trip overseas.
The group traveled from Bei-
jing to Shanghai visiting pop-
ular tourist destinations on the
way including the Great Wall
and the Temple of Heaven.
"Everytime I thought I had a
favorite thing we did, we would
do something new and I would
say, 'this could be my new fa-
vorite,'" Palmer said.
The chamber opted to spear-
head the trip as both a tourist
experience and a business op-
portunity.
"There was an option to meet
with business owners in Chi-
na, it's an outreach program for
them," Palmer said.
However, the meeting was
cancelled.
"I don't know if it was tim-
ing but there was also a state
holiday while we were there,"
Palmer said, noting that he was
unsure if the current political
climate contributed to the can-
cellation.
While the group did not get
to meet with business leaders, it
did make stops at jade and silk
factories for the chance to pur-
chase mementos and indulged
in rickshaw and boat rides.
The group also found itself
the center of attention.
"One of the more surprising
things was just how nice and
accepting the people were,"
Palmer said. "We had our
pictures taken constantly. The
locals never seemed to tire of
their interest in tourists, they’d
ask to take pictures with you
and try to sneak pictures or ask
for pictures directly."
The chamber does not plan
to make the trip to China next
year, instead opting for a yet-to-
be-announced destination but
Palmer said China will remain
on the list for future years.
"China just got better and
better and better," he said.
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Thirty-seven Cottage Grove
residents made the trip to China
earlier this month making stop
at the Terracotta Warriors, the
Great Wall, the Temple of Heav-
en, Hutong Market, the Llama
Temple, the Forbidden Palace,
Tiananmen Square and Xi'an.
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