China
The Tourism Opportunity
Robin Johnson 蒋骆宾
Head of Overseas Operations & China Project Director
VisitBritain
China: the UK’s Fastest-Growing Market
China Driving Growth in UK Tourism ££
China – The Welsh Perspective
Segmentation for China
Mass Group Travellers
Mainstream ADS tourists travelling in groups of 25-35 on 7-12 day package tours, covering
multiple cities & countries.
Premium Group Travellers
Vary between higher-end/more experienced leisure groups made up of 10 or fewer
family/friend members, as well as official & business groups with a strong leisure
element. Undertake more bespoke itineraries with fewer destinations.
Independent Travellers
Segment still small, but one of the fastest-growing. A younger audience which is
affluent, well-travelled & well-educated. Dominant segment on VB’s weibo account.
High-Net Worth Individuals / Luxury
Estimated 2.7m dollar millionaires in China. Four sub-segments in this area: Modern
Business Elites, Nouveau Riche, International Gold-Collars & Second Generation Rich.
Geographic Approach
Britain 2020 Strategy
Challenges & Opportunities in China
Opportunities
Challenges
Access
Visas
Aviation capacity
Distribution
More competitor
product available
from the trade
Limited range of
Britain product sold
Visa improvements
being made by
Home Office
New air routes and
extra frequencies
being introduced
Chinese travel trade
more engaged with
Britain than ever
Image
Competitors still
more aspirational
UK perceived as
expensive
Enhanced profile
from Olympic
Games
Success of GREAT
campaign in China
Product
Support for UK
tourism industry to
be “export-ready”
Limited Chinese
language services
available in UK
Huge desire &
motivation from the
UK travel industry to
engage with China
Aims to make Britain the most welcoming
destination in Europe for Chinese visitors
A GREAT China
Welcome charter for
British tourism
suppliers and retailers
who are already
‘China-ready’
An industry wide
education programme
which will help more
UK hospitality
businesses to become
‘China-ready’
The Charter: criteria
A product or service of genuine interest to potential
Chinese visitors and meets their cultural needs and
expectations
First-hand experience of welcoming Chinese visitors
Mandarin speaking staff
Translated websites, apps or literature
Visitor information or signage in Mandarin
Visitor-facing staff who have undergone training
about Chinese culture and etiquette
Facilities for customers to pay using UnionPay
Some form of formal collaboration with a peer
organisation in China
As of today:
116 members
These include:
34
hotels or
accommodation
agencies
27
10
22
attractions
retailers
tour
operators
The Charter: benefits
• Access to the GREAT China Welcome Chartermark for use in
any Chinese-focused marketing and promotional activities
• Flagged as a Charter member in VisitBritain’s own databases
and on our public facing websites
• Continual promotion of the Charter/mark in all our PR, digital &
marketing activities in China
• Monthly round ups of news from Charter members in our
Chinese travel trade and media newsletters
• Regular insights from China on trends & opportunities
• Priority access to VisitBritain’s marketing campaigns and trade
missions in China
• Discounts from selected promotional & commercial partners
Room for improvement among
our first 116 members…
More information
Web: visitbritain.org/greatchinawelcome
Twitter: @visitbritainbiz
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/visitbritain