That message, from the British Hospitality Association (BHA), comes just a few days after we reported that the British tourism industry has seen a huge boost over the last few weeks, with the number of tourists arriving in the UK from China rising by 46 percent.
However, according to the BHA, we could do much more. They point-out that the UK still receives under a third of the annual visitor numbers of France.
The reason for this is partly that a visitor coming to the UK from China needs a visa that is just valid here. However, the same visitor travelling to France will receive a visa that is valid in all 25 other member of the Schengen Area, too. So trips to Schengen countries can arguably be more cost effective and varied that trips to the UK.
This particular problem isn't going to get any better - in fact, you could argue that with Brexit, travel between the UK and other EU countries is only going to get more complicated. However, there is lots that can be done to attract more Chinese visitors.
BHA member David Morgan-Hewitt, managing director of The Goring said: "London is the greatest city in the world but it's lagging behind its European neighbours in terms of attracting Chinese tourists and it's time to take action. "Hoteliers want to capitalise on what is likely to be a much more mature market in five or ten years' time, but we need to be proactive today."
The BHA advice is geared towards hotels and those in the hospitality sector - but it's also relevant to other industries, too.
Firstly, they suggest offering information such as menus and welcome letters in Chinese, to help visitors feel at home and ease understanding.
They also recommend hiring staff with diverse language training, and offering Chinese snacks and drinks as an option for guests.
The BHA believe that businesses accepting a wide variety of credit cards are also more likely to attract visitors from China, who in total spend an average of ?2,688 per head.
Hopefully, following their advice will help your business to be more welcoming to Chinese visitors.
Source: CRI By Rupert Reid
from China Travel & Tourism News http://ift.tt/1iB6EFm
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