Chinese turn noses up at UK, prefering Greece, Italy and France
Chinese holidaymakers prefer Greece, Italy and France to the UK, according to a new survey by Travelzoo of customers living in the Asia Pacific.
The survey, conducted at the end of last year, will be a blow to the UK’s inbound tourism as it shows that the Chinese are still favouring other European destinations despite chancellor George Osborne’s trade mission to Beijing last October.
Travelzoo Asia Pacific CEO Jason Yap said: "The outbound Chinese market is huge and the UK is missing out again and again.
"There are still various factors which mean the UK isn’t the destination of choice for Chinese travellers – a lot of it is to do with lack of awareness about what’s on offer in Britain but there are other issues, including the ridiculous visa situation.
"Despite half-hearted revisions to the visa application, countries like Switzerland are cashing in on the business brought by Chinese tourists as they make it simple to enter the country. "
Travelzoo estimates that the UK is missing out on over £1 billion annually by not attracting the wealthy Chinese middle classes who are prepared to spend more money to upgrade their holiday experiences and stay at high-end accommodation.
They no longer want guided tours, it said, but instead choose relaxing breaks with a touch of culture, good food and comfortable surroundings.
Travelzoo said Britain needs ‘up its marketing game’.
The survey of 3,500 subscribers in the Asia Pacific region found that those in China will take more trips and spend more on travel this year. The Chinese will take, on average, 6.5 holidays this year, spending an average of £5,000.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025