Myrtle Beach tourism leaders have made an imprint in China.

Between efforts made by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and marketing cooperative Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, they have managed to get the Grand Strand featured in a travel piece on China’s largest cable network, videos on a Chinese international airline, and magazine articles, additional TV shows and billboards in China.

But now that investors from China have rooted on the Strand through the purchase of 13 golf courses and other properties, the investors are doing much of the promotional work for them, and the assistance should expedite and increase the flow of Chinese tourists to Myrtle Beach.

“With individuals now that have invested in our market, and their resources and connections in China, they can make it happen a lot faster,” Golf Holiday president Bill Golden said.

The Chinese investment company – Yiqian Funding – that has purchased eight Strand golf courses in the past six months has recently spawned travel, golf and real estate departments to support its foray into Myrtle Beach, according to Xian ‘Nick’ Dou, a New York immigration attorney who has represented the company in the course sales.

“We set up a travel department in China to take care of people and take them to Myrtle Beach for golf, shopping, the ocean, everything, even to buy a house,” Dou said. “We will continue to bring more people. We will let everybody know where is Myrtle Beach, where is the paradise of the golf world.”

The company’s first big tourism splash is a group of about 60 from China traveling to Myrtle Beach in late April for the wedding of Dan Liu, a China resident and company representative.

The wedding is April 28 and the group is expected to arrive on April 25 and remain for about a week before visiting New York. Dou expects group members to experience golf, shopping, deep sea fishing and other area attractions, as well as look at real estate.