Chinese travellers dump souvenirs for real estate
If you think Chinese tourists are in Sydney just to gaze at the Opera House, think again.
And they may not be in Singapore to play roulette at the Marina Bay Sands resort; or in Hong Kong for afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel.
Speaking at Web in Travel conference, Mildred Cheong, director, channel management, China, Abacus International, said that it was necessary to understand the mindset of the Chinese traveller.
Ms Cheong illustrated her point with an anecdote about a busload of Chinese travellers visiting Singapore who cleaned out a sale at a Louis Vuitton shop.
A similar busload of Chinese travellers to Hong Kong snapped up units in an apartment block. A third group in Malaysia bought office and factory buildings.
“The Chinese traveller is very purposeful and it’s important to bear this in mind when making arrangements for the group.
“Aside from air travel and hotel arrangements, there is a need to cater to their specific need, which means working with other parties like real estate agents,†she explained.
Bobby Ong, regional VP sales & marketing – China, Kempinski Hotels said visitors from China were pragmatic and seldom ventured beyond a specific geographical region.
“Ninety five percent of the market goes to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
“They know that by shopping outside China, they can avoid the luxury tax, which together with the favourable currency conversion makes a difference in their spending power.
“The ones who venture further have worked or live overseas.â€
Ian Jarrett
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