Tourism operators should also be creating experiences which offer “bragging rights” for tourists from China, which is the fastest-growing market for Australia, and remember their strong gift giving culture.

Chinese outbound tourism expert Pierre Gervois, from Hong Kong-based China Elite Focus, said going abroad was wealthy Chinese people’s favourite leisure activity, with 55 million travelling overseas last year.

He said rich Chinese tourists were rejecting group tours and wanted to shop, visit casinos, play golf and drink wine.

They are also interested in activities such as boating and yachting, hunting, horse races and polo.

Mr Gervois said he was surprised to find that Australia was very well-known among Chinese people for its wine.

“Sometimes you see Australian tourism operators trying to promote activities such as surfing and trekking but this is not what interests Chinese tourists,” he said.

“Chinese tourists also say to us ‘why should we go to Australia to see nice landscapes because China has so many provinces with beautiful natural scenery and animals?’

“The first thing they want to do is go to a big shopping mall and buy gifts for all their family.

“After that if they have one day left maybe they will be interested to discover the nature and wildlife.”

While it is illegal to promote gambling in China, Mr Gervois said their second favourite activity was “entertainment” - or casinos.

Earlier this year Australia’s highest-profile billionaire and owner of Melbourne’s Crown Casino James Packer suggested Australia should look at destinations such as Singapore and Macau, which had attracted middle-class Asian tourists with “integrated resorts”, which feature casinos.

Daniel Levine, from New York-based global trends consultancy Avant-Guide Institute, said Australia was focusing more on signage, translators and serving Chinese food at breakfast, but we also need to connect on an emotional level.

Mr Levine, who attended the Tourism and Events Excellence conference in Melbourne earlier this year, said Chinese tourists were very brand and status conscious and liked to give gifts.

“They want to signal to others that they can afford luxury products and experiences,” he said.

“You need to deliver products in a way that enables Chinese tourists to brag about it back home.”

But Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said Australia needed to differentiate itself from Europe and the United States and its lifestyle and natural environment were very appealing to Chinese tourists, as well as its optimistic, young cities.

“Australia’s animals are a differentiating point,” he said.

Mr McEvoy has travelled to Asia several times in the past two years and spoken to dozens of travel agents there.

“I would argue that Australian shopping comparatively wouldn’t be the equal of Europe or the US but agents say Melbourne and Sydney certainly do the job – the prestige brands are there.

“They said we are equal to the US when it comes to gambling.”

He said the relaunch of Sydney’s The Star casino complex would further strengthen Australia’s position, with high quality live entertainment, 24 world class restaurants and great shopping.

Source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

The President announced an initiative focusing on improving travel facilitation by coordinating activity among the Department of Commerce, Department of State, and Department of Homeland Security. To achieve this, the President has directed the Department of Commerce to create a task force to develop a “National Travel & Tourism Strategy.” The task force will coordinate cross-departmental efforts and ensure private sector participation.

To increase international tourism to the United States, President Obama recommends promoting unique U.S. destinations/experiences, reducing wait times for visas in rapid-growth countries such as China and Brazil, and making the U.S. Global Entry program permanent.

In remarks, the President stated, “Every year, tens of millions of tourists from all over the world come and visit America. And the more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. We need to help businesses all across the country grow and create jobs; compete and win. That’s how we’re going to rebuild an economy where hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, and where anyone can make it if they try.”

“I was honored to stand with the President in Orlando as he announced that travel and tourism will be a national priority,” said AH&LA President/CEO Joe McInerney. “Travel and tourism is among the nation’s largest employers and a top ten industry in 48 states – so this effort will benefit every community. By focusing on these high-growth sectors, the United States is poised to create jobs and strengthen the economy.”

Many of the priorities highlighted by the President today are shared by the AH&LA co-chaired Discover America Partnership (DAP). DAP is a lobbying and grassroots campaign working to advance visa and entry reforms in order to regain the share of the international traveler market the United States held in 2000. By recapturing America’s historic share of international travel, the U.S. could create up to 1.3 million new U.S. jobs by 2020 and produce $859 billion in cumulative additional economic output.

“While working with the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB), we reported that tourism is a low-cost/high-reward prospect and one of the few industries showing positive growth,” said Nancy Johnson, AH&LA chair and executive vice president, development, Carlson Hotels, America. “Promoting travel produces a multiplier effect that benefits all industries and TTAB estimates we could add 500,000 new U.S. jobs by 2015 with no cost to tax payers. We commend the President for taking this positive step forward.”

“President Obama’s travel initiative will certainly help the U.S. hospitality industry to acquire more affluent Chinese travelers and create more jobs in luxury retail, golf industry, and shopping centers”, said Pierre Gervois, CEO of China Elite Focus, member of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. “In cities like New York City, hotels and retailers are now taking initiatives to attract the wealthy segment of Chinese customers, even before they arrive in the country, when they are still in China, planning their shopping trip to the U.S.”

Promoting travel and tourism remains one of AH&LA’s highest priorities. AH&LA and the Discover America Partnership will continue to work closely with Members of Congress, the Administration, and governmental agencies to highlight the incredible opportunity presented by bringing more international travelers to United States.

The U.S. Travel industry worked with Congressional appropriators to secure significant victories related to U.S. visa system and traveler facilitation reforms in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012. The legislation reflects 2011 advocacy efforts by the U.S. Travel Association to improve the U.S. economy, remove barriers to travel and improve the travel process.

“This legislation is an acknowledgment by Congress that reforms to the U.S. visa and entry systems and passenger screening process are key to improving our nation’s economy,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Clearly, the travel community is being heard, and we applaud Congress for addressing these issues.”

“The extended visa expiration period for affluent Chinese tourists doing frequent luxury shopping tours to the U.S. is an excellent news for the U.S. luxury retail industry” said Pierre Gervois, an expert in marketing to wealthy Chinese outbound tourists and member of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. “That will mean more wealthy Chinese customers spending more money in U.S. luxury shopping malls and flagship stores, and creating more american jobs in the luxury retail industry”

U.S. VISA SYSTEM REFORM – The Act mirrors a number of recommendations put forth by the U.S. Travel Association in a May 2011 report on the U.S. visa system. That report identified visa wait times, visa validity periods and videoconferencing technology as keys to improving a system that cannot meet demand in emerging economies with growing markets of international travelers.

Initiatives championed by U.S. Travel and included in the consular affairs section of the bill include:
Visa Wait Time Reductions – To reduce the number of days applicants must wait before their visa application interview, the bill directs the Secretary of State to hire a sufficient number of consular officers, including limited non-career appointment (LNA) officers, in China, Brazil and India. These LNA officers will give the State Department hiring flexibility to meet increasing visa demand in the coming years.
Better Metrics and Long-Term Planning – Congress directs the Secretary of State to report on the steps it will take to reduce current visa processing wait times but also to submit a 5-year forecast of visa demand in Brazil, China and India. The plan should outline the number of consular officers necessary to meet the Department’s 30 day visa processing standard. Congress also directs the State Department to compare its forecast with the Commerce Department’s visitor projections in order to allow it to produce better long-term plans.
Extended Visa Expiration Period – A plan must be developed by the State Department to extend expiration periods for leisure or business visas that require a consular officer interview. The visa validity period for Chinese citizens is only one year, and U.S. Travel has recommended extending the visa validity period to five or 10 years, common with other countries, so business and leisure travelers do not have to undergo the visa renewal process annually and State can better meet demand of new applicants in China.
Secure Videoconferencing Technology – Congress has cleared the Secretary of State to develop and conduct a pilot program to conduct visa interviews for leisure and business visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology. With limited consular offices in emerging economies such as Brazil, China and India, the addition of remote secure videoconferencing would allow more citizens to apply for U.S. visas.
U.S. ENTRY & EXIT SYSTEM REFORM – The Act includes a number of significant improvements to the entry and exit process at U.S. air and land ports of entry.
Increased Staffing – The bill provides funding to hire an additional 300 new Customs and Border Protection Officers to improve processing of inbound travelers at land border crossings and international U.S. airports.
More Oversight of Operations – The bill requires CBP to report to the Congress on its long-term staffing plans and implementation of key entry reforms such as trusted traveler programs and elimination of unnecessary rescreening of international travelers and baggage.
Air Exit System – The bill provides $9.4 million to the development of a comprehensive plan for enhancements of a biographic air exit program to bolster security and allow for further expansion of the Visa Waiver Program.
DOMESTIC AVIATION FACILITATION REFORM – The Act makes a series of recommendations designed to improve the efficiency of traveler facilitation including:
Congressional Reports on Efficiency – TSA must submit to Congress reports on passenger and baggage screening efficiency and on how its workforce is being deployed at the nation’s airports to maintain average wait times below 10 minutes. As a recent U.S. Travel survey showed, an overwhelming majority of passengers are frustrated with screening checkpoints. The bill also encourages TSA to utilize privatized screening where more cost-effective.
Trusted Traveler – To help implement recommendations akin the U.S. Travel Blue Ribbon Panel on Aviation Security, the bill provides TSA $10M to implement risk-based screening and to expand known-traveler populations beyond the current PreCheck program.

In 2012, the U.S. Travel Association will pursue policies on behalf of the travel industry, many of which will create much-needed U.S. jobs and improve the economy. These include legislative vehicles for additional visa system reform, expanding the Visa Waiver Program, enhancing the entry process at ports of entry, and improving the efficiency of the U.S. air travel system.

Source: www.chinesetouristsinamerica.com

One influential Chinese luxury travel blog about luxury travel to NYC

In the near future, the sight of groups of Chinese tourists following their tour guides around to the most beautiful tourist attractions could well become a thing of the past. Young and wealthy Chinese citizens fascinated by technology and with a desire to experience individual forms of travel are no longer taking the kind of trips once popular with many Chinese people. Chinese citizens’ travel habits are undergoing huge change. In order to keep up with the ever-increasing number of Chinese tourists the international travel industry must tailor its services to meet the demands of China’s new generation of tourists. Chinese speaking staff, typical Chinese dishes, and communicating via China’s popular social media channels could well be the recipes for success.

The economic boom is the driving force behind Chinese citizens’ desire to travel. Well-educated young professionals in particular are benefiting from the economic boom and can afford to take international trips which focus on experiencing something new. The demand is for high-quality service rather than low-cost group tours. China’s tourists want to experience individual travel. While visiting as many attractions as possible remains an important part of a tour, factors such as relaxation and entertainment have now moved further up the wish list. For many Chinese people shopping is still one of their favourite activities when travelling abroad. One indicator of this is the average amount of money they spend per visit, which has now reached double-digit figures.

In order for the travel industry to be acknowledged by Chinese tourists it must meet their specific requests and demands and respect their local culture and customs. Chinese speaking staff and audio guides in museums ensure that tourists feel welcome. For many travellers, additional comforts such as a kettle in one’s room for preparing snacks in between meals or Chinese dishes on the hotel restaurant menu are seen as respecting their culture.

Hotels and Tour operators should also take the needs and habits of Chinese people into account on their websites. Individual information pertaining to the market as well as links to Chinese search engines such as Baidu are what is required, instead of simply translating one’s own content. Websites should be hosted in China to enable a quick response to any censorship activities. Furthermore, they should not contain any links to websites which are banned in China, such as Facebook or YouTube. Chinese citizens go on different social networking sites, and this must be taken into account. For Chinese people, taking their specific cultural aspects into account is equivalent to affording someone respect, whereas for many Chinese tourists a website that ignores their needs is tantamount to a bad travel experience.

For China’s young generation of digital natives especially, social media, online bookings and mobile technologies are indispensable tools for planning and booking trips. In particular those who wish to travel abroad make use of online media to prepare in detail and to obtain information on their travel destination, and after a trip they share their experiences with other community members on the web. 92 per cent of China’s internet users go on social networking sites, around twice as many as in Europe or the US. According to  Pierre Gervois, CEO of China Elite Focus, the leading digital marketing agency focused on affluent & wealthy Chinese outbound tourists “ This new generation of Chinese tourists now chooses their destination, hotel, shopping activity through a network of informal travel blogs that give real insights about how Chinese tourists are really welcome all over the World. These independent blogs have much more influence than the big, official, travel website and hotel booking engines in China.

Chinese tourists remain eager to travel, and Chinese citizens are well on the way to soon becoming one of the world’s main source markets for tourism. According to estimates by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 66 million Chinese citizens travelled abroad in 2011, 15 per cent more than in 2010. Even if the majority of these day trips and those including overnight stays are to former colonies, i.e. Hong Kong and Macau, the number of trips taken by Chinese citizens to other countries in Asia and beyond is increasing rapidly.

French travel publisher Michelin has just released a Chinese guide book: “French Wine Tour” (法国葡萄酒之旅).
Having published 13 guide books in simplified Chinese since 2006 — most of them are of Western countries — this is Michelin’s first-ever theme tour guide in Chinese.
The Green Guide gives detailed information on the most well-known French vineyards and their wines, from Bordeaux and Burgundy to Champagne and Cognac.
“We provide travel guides based on readers’ demand and according to the traveling habits and lifestyle of Chinese people,” noted Miao Xiangbo (苗祥波), director of Michelin Guide China Maps and Traveling.
“The book shows the other side of France and helps tourists to enjoy French wine culture in depth.”
The Michelin wine guide, which will be available soon online and in Xinhua book stores nationwide, has arrived just in time. China officially overtook Germany and the United Kingdom to become the biggest wine importer of Bordeaux last September.
Movies have also spurred Chinese tourists to visit Bordeaux. “Cherish our Love Forever,” was partially shot in the region and starred Xu Jinglei (right) and Li Yapeng.

According to French Wine News, Chinese buyers spent US$311 million on Bordeaux wine between July 2010 and June 2011. So it’s no wonder that the region is welcoming Chinese tourists with open arms.
Grand Hotel de Bordeaux and Spa, a luxury resort located in the main shopping and pedestrian area of the city of Bordeaux, sent a delegation to Shanghai and Beijing in early November to promote their tailored wine tours and to learn about the booming market.
Without any previous marketing effort, five percent of the 150-room hotel’s guests came from China in 2010. The company’s general manager Yan Vacher estimated the number will be 11 percent for this year, and somewhere between 15-20 percent for 2012.
“So when you got this result, you’ve got to understand who are your clients — you’ve got to understand why they come to Bordeaux and what are their needs,” said Vacher.
Grand Hotel de Bordeaux and Spa arranges tailored private vineyard visits for its guests. Tourists can request meals or picnics with the owners or even a helicopter tour over different vineyards. Even the super-rich Chinese wine lovers can have their wine tour in private jets from Paris to Bordeaux, with limousines and Chinese speaking concierge service on arrival, but you need to be a member of the prestigious Shanghai Travelers’ Club.
The cost of a wine tour package starts from US$67. And since the tours’ launch, the hotel has witnessed very positive feedback from Chinese customers.Vacher also revealed that the hotel plans to open a Chinese restaurant next year to specifically cater to Chinese tourists.

Thomas Duroux, managing director of Chateau Palmer, said that 30 percent of visitors to his vineyard have been Chinese in the past six months, and they were looking for high-end wines with prestigious brands.
“The number of Chinese people in Bordeaux has increased tremendously — of course, we received a lot of professionals, but we also see a lot of tourists,” added Duroux, who estimated a fast growth in the number of visiting tourists in the near future.
Yan Vacher also anticipated wine tour to be the next trend among Chinese tourists to France because of the interest in learning about wine in China, and the fact that “Chinese travelers have just come to discover the region of Bordeaux.”

Some key highlights from the blue paper include:

• Chinese outbound travel and tourism reached record levels in 2010, totaling 57.39 million, an increase of more than 20% compared with 2009.

• China is now the largest outbound tourist source country in Asia, having overtaken Japan.

• Total outbound tourism during 2011 is expected to reach 65 million visitor trips.

• During 2010, Chinese outbound tourists spent €35 billion (approximately US$47 billion) on their travels, up 14% from 2009. The figure is expected to reach €40.2 billion (approximately US$54.3 billion) during 2011, a rise of 14.6%.
As part of the IHM&RS panel, Flack outlined three additional insights from Hilton’s findings about the Chinese travel experience:

1. Shopping
Shopping is an extremely important part of the Chinese travel experience—but not for the material reasons one might expect. On the contrary, Chinese travelers shop to buy gifts for family, friends and business associates.
2. Food-and-beverage
The dining experience is another important aspect of Chinese culture. Flack emphasized the importance of authenticity in this regard. Chinese food as many Americans know it is a far cry from the offerings served on dinner tables on the other side of the world.
For this reason, Hilton created an authentic menu designed by Chinese chefs for its Huanying program. Offerings include such items as two varieties of congee with condiments, dim sum, fried dough fritters, fried rice and fried noodles.
3. Social recommendations
“It’s very important in Chinese culture to make the right choice and be seen making the right choice,” Flack said.

Chinese travelers rely heavily on social media to research travel.

According to Pierre Gervois, CEO of China Elite Focus, a Shanghai marketing agency specialized in targeting affluent Chinese outbound tourists “Hilton and Starwood hotels made the right move by targeting Chinese tourists. They must now have an in-depht social media marketing campaign to reach and unlock the potential of hundred of thousands of new Chinese customers, as well as explaing the core values of their brands”. Gervois added “Serving Chinese tea and noodles to Chinese guests is a first good step, but without a strong presence on the relevant Chinese Travel blogs and websites, it won’t bring much more new Chinese customers”
“If you’re marketing yourself in that market, you have to be very visible in social media channels and everywhere that Chinese people are searching for the right choice for them,” Flack also said.

More Chinese are traveling overseas from smaller cities, places where growing middle classes are accumulating more wealth and do not face the financial pinch of rising housing prices and inflation felt by similar demographics in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, which, according to Vincent Liu, a partner at BCG in Hong Kong, will eventually impact the spending power of travelers from first-tier cities.

“Many of them are richer than those from major cities,” says Roger Wang, head of Lukintl, a Beijing-based tour company that has taken thousands of Chinese to America since it was founded in 1996. “The tourists from the main cities are mostly from the middle class, while tourists from smaller cities are millionaires or government officials. Usually they have strong spending power.”

According to Wang, this demographic will spend more than $100,000 abroad, using credit cards or with money sent to them via wire transfer from friends. They tend to seek out famous brands.

A close look at these vacationers has enabled luxury companies worldwide to tailor their marketing strategies. “They are eager to buy something, because when they come here, they carry a lot of money,” says Shi Hui Ling, a so-called “guest experience manager,” who was handpicked from a tourism school in Dubai by Six Senses, a resort on a tiny island in an atoll called Laamu, to provide special service to guests from her homeland. “Something unique, they want to buy this.

However, it’s not just the unique that Chinese luxury vacationers are after: they still want the exclusive. Brands like Louis Vuitton are favorites in China and abroad. Travelers have no problem buying familiar products while on vacation, but they want the experience to be different.

“Our Chinese customers are buying more confidently into looks rather than individual pieces,” Jason Beckley, global marketing director at Alfred Dunhill, says. “They’re not impulse shoppers, and they’re discreet—they like a VIP or bespoke room, or even just to be offered tea or water when they are in the store.”

China’s Netizens, the name for the country’s 400 million web users, also offers creative labels the opportunity to enhance customers’ in-store experiences. “I think Internet shopping will be very hot in coming years,” says Wang. “People may choose the goods online and check when going abroad and finally buy. Because people here [in China] always doubt what is imported, I think overseas shops should have this business: reserve online and buy at the shop [abroad].”

Famous luxury travel clubs for China’s wealthy travelers such as the Shanghai Travelers’ Club, are very active on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo, and exchange travel tips with their members. (For example, where to buy a US$50Million super yacht…)

To capitalize on the growing number of tourists from smaller cities, retailers abroad would do well simply to have salespeople who speak Chinese. But creating more brand awareness in China — beyond Shanghai and Beijing – will pay off both on the mainland and abroad.

Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) President Mike McCartney and other tourism officials will join Abercrombie – on his inaugural trip to Asia – at the forum on Oct. 19, 2011.

A good relationship between China and the United States will not only stimulate Hawaii’s economy but also promote cultural understanding, Abercrombie said.

Hawaii already has sister-state relationships with Guangdong and Hainan provinces.

“Chinese culture and traditions have long since become intertwined into our own local culture, building on Hawaii’s longstanding and very special relationship with China,” Abercrombie said in an e-mail to China Daily.

Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo, who will also attend the forum, is also interested in promoting the US territory as a travel destination for Chinese people.

At the US-China Governors Forum in Salt Lake City in February, he discussed with Zhejiang Party Secretary Zhao Hongzhu the potential for increased tourism from China if a visa waiver program is approved.

“US governors and the (Barack) Obama administration understand how critical it is for the nation to build economic alliances with China,” Calvo said.

Zhao told Calvo he intends to encourage residents of his populous province to visit Guam, according to Calvo. Zhao mentioned that many Zhejiang residents currently vacation in Singapore, which is a six-hour flight, whereas the flight to Guam is only four hours.

The number of Chinese tourists in Hawaii has jumped significantly since the signing of the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding between the US and China to allow Chinese vacationers to visit the country.

HTA, Hawaii’s state tourism agency, projects a total of 91,000 Chinese visitors to Hawaii this year, a 37 percent increase over last year.

The average Chinese tourist spends $349 per person each day, according to data compiled by HTA, whereas Japanese visitors spend an average of $261 each day.

Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism forecasts the number of Chinese visitors to Hawaii will increase annually by 20 percent from 2012 to 2014. By 2014, Hawaii will have 140,000 Chinese visitors a year.

At the upcoming three-day forum, McCartney will join Abercrombie for a meeting with Shao Qiwei, director of China’s National Tourism Administration.

The two will also meet officials from China Eastern Airlines and the US embassy, as well as representatives from the airline and travel industries.

HTA works closely with its overseas contractor Hawaii Tourism China, which has offices in Shanghai and Beijing, to promote Hawaii to Chinese travelers as a vacation and business destination, according to McCartney.

In August, China Eastern Airlines launched its first direct, nonstop flight between Shanghai and Honolulu, the first twice-a-week flight connecting China and Hawaii.

HTA estimates that this regularly scheduled flight, on Tuesdays and Fridays, will provide the state with $60 million in annual visitor expenditures.

Before traveling to the US, Chinese travelers are required to obtain a tourist visa. When the Visa Waiver Program was introduced for tourists from South Korea in 2008, the number of travelers from South Korea to Hawaii increased significantly, according to McCartney.

McCartney said the state has been working hard to support efforts that could help expedite the process for obtaining travel visas.

“We understand the visa process for Chinese visitors is long, and we hope to ease it,” McCartney said.