The officially sponsored visit failed to take in many of the old Jewish sites, but did include a tour of Pudong and a pitch for investment.

CNN: The Ghosts of Shanghai

Of course, sommeliers are invited to play golf as well some I know have even been taken on private planes to Burgundy by their best customers. (No, I won't be naming names.) And both retailers and sommeliers have been known to accept importer- or distributor-sponsored trips to visit key producers, whose wines will presumably end up on wine lists and store shelves.

WSJ: The Everyday Sommelier on the Corner | On Wine by Lettie Teague