Australia beats UK in attracting Chinese tourists
The UK is failing to entice Chinese visitors by not promoting itself properly, according to Travelzoo’s CEO for the Asia Pacific region.
Jason Yap, who met with Britain’s inbound tourism chiefs this week, believes the problem is not so much about Air Passenger Duty or complex visa regulations, but is simply that Britain is not meeting the demands of the Chinese visitor.
He said the UK was underplaying some of its key strengths such as its world-famous schools and colleges, like Oxford, Cambridge, Eton and Harrow, which hold massive appeal to the Chinese consumer.
He also said Chinese tourists want driving holidays, particularly in premium cars, which are being actively promoted by countries such as Australia and are proving hugely successful.
"The outbound Chinese market is huge and countries like Australia, France, Italy, Switzerland and Thailand are leaving the UK behind as a destination for Chinese travellers to visit," said Yap.
He said APD and visa regulations in the UK definitely present a barrier to entry but they are not the main or sole reason.
"The issue is more about the lack of good packages or the low profile of the UK as a holiday destination in China.
According to Travelzoo, more than $1.5billion a year is currently being lost by the UK because of "lacklustre promotion and poor packages", which is causing the country’s tourism industry to miss out on the double-digit growth expected from China in the next year and beyond.
A recent Travelzoo (Asia Pacific) survey showed the UK does not rank in the top 10 of "must see" destinations for the affluent and ambitious young Chinese market, ranking instead as number 18.
The top destinations are Australia, the Maldives, Thailand, Taiwan and the US and within Europe destinations out-ranking the UK are Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Greece and Spain.
Ian Jarrett
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