In a twist, Trump’s administration policies could deliver more Chinese tourists and students for Australia & New Zealand

Australia’s tourism and education providers may benefit from Chinese consumers holding a more negative view of the United States since the election of President Donald Trump, according to a new survey.

While China’s state media has pulled back on its outright hostility towards Mr Trump since his election, the survey of 2000 people from across the country found that 41 per cent of respondents viewed America in a less positive light.

“America’s soft power has historically provided a distinct advantage for many of its products and services in China, driving preference for travel and study packages, Nike shoes, iPhones and Frappuccinos at Starbucks,” said Mark Tanner the managing director of digital consulting firm China Skinny, which jointly commissioned the survey with research firm Findoout.

He said many Chinese people believed Europe to be unsafe, due to the threat of terrorism, and would therefore seek out other western-style destinations, such as Australia and New Zealand.

“The desirability of tourism and studying in America has decreased since Trump was elected,” said Mr Tanner.

“This isn’t just good for the travel and education sectors [in Australian and New Zealand], but has a wider impact as Chinese consumers develop affinities with food, property, fashion, health and a host of other products when visiting foreign countries.”

The so-called daigou trade, which has seen a spike in popularity of everything from A2 infant formula to Weetbix and Blackmores vitamins, was built around tourists coming to Australia and discovering these brands.

Many took the products home and then sought out Chinese friends or relatives living in Australia to send them regular supplies via the post.

This spawned a multimillion-dollar industry and often provided the basis for brands opening offices in China and beginning direct sales.

“New Zealand is a very popular destination for affluent Chinese travelers” said Pierre Gervois, CEO of China Elite Focus, the media agency which was in charge of the “Luxury New Zealand” campaign to promote the country to Chinese travelers from 2011 to 2013. “Chinese leisure travelers, real estate investors, businesspeople and students are choosing New Zealand as an alternative to European destinations or the United States”. The survey by China Skinny and Findoout found 18 per cent of Chinese consumers felt more negatively about buying property and stocks in the US, while 14 per cent were less inclined to travel there and 10 per cent were more negative on studying in the US.

Conversely, the rise of Mr Trump appears to have piqued interest in American culture in China with a small uptick in sentiment towards US movies, music, sport and the media. Chinese consumers have historically shown themselves to be sensitive towards geopolitical ructions. In September 2012 during a heated territorial dispute with Tokyo, Japanese automakers suffered year on year sales declines of up to 50 per cent in an otherwise buoyant market.

“Remarkably the results were consistent across respondents’ city tiers, gender, age and professions, signalling that Trump is impacting behaviour in every corner of China,” said Yu Bowei the chief executive of Findoout.

Source : Financial Review, original story by Angus Grigg

Pierre Gervois: What Chinese Travelers Want

Hospitality guru Pierre Gervois on how to cater to Chinese tourists.

Inversiones de China en EE.UU.: el sueño americano ya no pertenece a sus propios ciudadanos

En los últimos años las inversiones chinas en la economía estadounidense han aumentado considerablemente, sobre todo en el área inmobiliaria. Mientras Washington apoya la llegada de capitales e incluso otorga un mayor número de visados a los inversores chinos, sus propios ciudadanos sufren las consecuencias de un mercado que comienza a inflar los precios.

El 40% de los estadounidenses ven a China como una amenaza económica para su país, según una encuesta publicada por la empresa Gallup. Sin embargo, muchos opinan que la situación es exactamente la contraria y que sus inversiones facilitan la recuperación y la creación de empleo.

A ese respecto el especialista en mercado chino Pierre Gervois ha dicho a RT que China “es una gran fuente de financiación para la economía estadounidense”. “Los hombres de negocios de este país asiático crearán puestos de trabajo así que en los Estados Unidos tienen mucho que ganar con la inversión”, ha asegurado.

Uno de los puntos importantes en este acercamiento ha sido simplificar los trámites para la obtención de visados turísticos. “Por eso hace algunos meses el presiente Barack Obama decidió que las visas de turistas sean válidas por 10 años con entradas múltiples. Dicha medida ha cambiado todo, es mucho más fácil viajar a los Estados Unidos que a países de Europa occidental”, dijo el experto.

Precisamente en el año 2015, los ciudadanos chinos sumaron el 80% de las solicitudes de visado de inversión, un permiso por el que se comprometen a invertir la nada despreciable cifra de medio millón de dólares. Una vez en el país, los inversores chinos se decantan, en su mayoría, por el sector inmobiliario.

La agente inmobiliaria de Los Ángeles Jessica Heung vincula este comportamiento con el hecho de que “es más económico comprar una casa en EE.UU. que en China, especialmente porque el mercado se desinfló en 2010″. Además dijo que “los inversionistas chinos compran al 50% tanto para vivir en las propiedades como para invertir en ellas”.

Según los datos de la Agencia Nacional de Inmobiliarias, entre los años de 2013-2014 los ciudadanos chinos invirtieron alrededor de 22.000 millones de dólares en el sector inmobiliario del país norteamericano.

Sin embargo, en el afán de atraer las inversiones a nivel macroeconómico, las autoridades de EE.UU. se han olvidado de sus propios ciudadanos. Con el consiguiente incremento de los precios, los bolsillos de la mayoría de los estadounidenses pierden la batalla contra el poderío financiero del comprador chino.

“Definitivamente es ahora más difícil comprar para alguien que ya viva aquí. Las hipotecas son muy caras. Para los ciudadanos estadounidenses es muy difícil competir con los inversores que vienen desde China”, confirmó Jessica Heung.

De esa manera, lo que unos ven como una fuente de dinero fácil que llega desde China, para otros puede suponer que sus metas sean inalcanzables. Parece que el sueño americano ya no está diseñado para sus propios ciudadanos.

http://actualidad.rt.com/view/video_frame/178635

From Hipster To Horseback: According to Pierre Gervois, Publisher of Luxury Hotels of America magazine, Chinese Luxury Travelers Demand Authentic Experiences

Pierre Gervois, Publisher of Luxury Hotels of America, in New York City, October 2014.

As China’s outbound tourist market rapidly expands, high-end hotels and retailers across the world are vying for the business of this important group. In the United States, one company on the front lines of this trend is China Elite Focus, a New York-headquartered, Chinese-language publisher that has been producing luxury travel magazines for Chinese readers since 2008. With content focused on destinations, hotels, cuisine, retail, and philanthropy, the magazines were created to meet demand by moneyed Chinese travelers for content on authentic, upscale experiences.

In order to learn more about how China’s luxury outbound travel market has evolved over the past six years, we talked to China Elite Focus CEO and Publisher Pierre Gervois about the changes he’s seen in Chinese travelers’ taste. Read below to hear his thoughts on Chinese travelers’ interest in getting a taste of American culture, the decline of the Chinese “100 percent shopping trip,” and how this fall’s Golden Week fared for U.S. luxury businesses.

What inspired you to start China Elite Focus?

In 2008, after having served as the president of a consulting company specialized in foreign investments in China, I decided to start a new publishing company and to publish high quality luxury travel magazines in Chinese Mandarin. A lot of my Chinese friends complained to me that they could not find any publication in Chinese language with curated and sophisticated content for their outbound travels. So our mission, from the beginning, was to bring to them beautifully written travel stories about the world’s most spectacular and exclusive experiences. I’m very proud of the job we have done with our team of very talented travel editors, lead by our Senior Travel Editor, Elaine Ke. Today we publish there magazines: the Shanghai Travelers’ Club, Luxury Hotels of America, and American Philanthropy.

How is the content of your magazines tailored to a Chinese audience?

All the content of our publications is written at our Shanghai office by Chinese editors. We do not translate from English an existing article; we produce our own original content. We are in constant exchange with our readers through Weibo, and we know what kind of themes or destinations they want to read stories about. For example, we have noted a strong interest for travel to the United States over the past year, and we have increased the stories about luxury travel experiences in the United States.

We’ve been reading a lot about how wealthy Chinese travelers are becoming more interested in “experiential” travel rather than just basic shopping and sightseeing. Have you noticed this trend growing among your readers?

That is true. The time of the “100 percent shopping trips” is done. The new generation of affluent Chinese outbound travelers is now very mature, extremely well-informed, and wants to discover new experiences, off the beaten tracks. We have published stories about horseback riding experiences in the Nevada desert in Luxury Hotels of America which had great success with our readers. Chinese shoppers tend now to plan much more carefully and in a very sophisticated way their shopping plan abroad. They are looking for more limited-edition items of lesser-known brands they have discovered on social media networks, rather that already well-known global brands, who have saturated the market with products over-marketed to Chinese customers.

One of your magazines focuses exclusively on luxury hotels in the United States. Which U.S. hotels are the most popular with Chinese travelers at the moment?

Luxury Hotels of America features in particular historical hotels, or hotels with a connection to the American culture. The kind of U.S. hotels that Chinese travelers like are boutique hotels, lodges, and ranches with a connection to nature and wildlife. We have seen a significant shift from standardized, large-size hotel chains to much smaller hotels offering a personalized experience. In New York City, we have seen that hotels in Brooklyn, built in former factories, in “hip” neighborhoods were a great success with Chinese travelers, as well as properties in the American West, offering a genuine local experience.

How was this season’s Golden Week for luxury hoteliers and retailers in the United States?

We have recently discussed with several well-known retailers in the United States, and they have been surprised by the evolution of the shopping behavior of Chinese customers and their use of social media to compare brands and know exactly where to buy. It was not uncommon for them to see Chinese customers with their iPads and mobile phones texting to their friends about brands and retailers. The digital integration of the shopping experience is now extremely important and mobile payments such as the Apple Pay will definitely be very popular with Chinese shoppers in the United States. Since the beginning, we have integrated our content with social media, and we are very pleased with this trend.

What are some ways in which U.S. luxury businesses are doing a good job of reaching and serving Chinese tourists? What are some ways in which they can improve?

U.S. luxury brands and luxury hotels can do much better! They are doing all right, and have a big margin to improve their relations with Chinese travelers on the three following points:

-No more stereotypes about Chinese tourists. A lot of U.S. hospitality, tourism, and retail companies still create marketing campaigns with the stereotype in mind of group tourists traveling in coaches, staying in cheap hotels, with entirely pre-arranged shopping programs. Most Chinese travelers do not want to travel this way anymore and choose themselves their hotels and their shopping experiences, without the help of travel agencies.

-Chinese travelers to the United States are looking for a genuine American experience. Some U.S. hotel chains have developed programs specifically for Chinese travelers with rooms decorated in a Chinese style, offer Chinese food only, and entertainment programs linked with Chinese culture. This is exactly the opposite of what Chinese tourists really want. They write to our editors and complain with us that they want to find a real American experience in hotels, not a “fake” Chinese experience! They have traveled for thousands of miles to have a taste of American culture and civilization.

-A more sophisticated and thoughtful marketing strategy with Chinese customers. U.S. luxury brands must understand that, in order to sell to Chinese tourists in the United States, they must start to promote and do branding in China, with specialized digital media targeting Chinese travelers planning their trip to the United States. It’s too late and very little effective to promote their brands in printed magazines or tourist guides distributed in airports or hotel lobbies, because the purchase decisions have already been made several weeks ago, in China. Digital native advertisement (sponsored content) is also very effective to create brand awareness. Chinese customers are early adopters of the newest technologies, and old-school marketing does not work and looks “uncool” to them. Social media integration and sponsored content are the two pillars of a successful campaign with Chinese tourists coming to the United States.

Source: Jing Daily

American Philanthropy, new magazine for Chinese philanthropists in the United States

China Elite Focus Magazines LLC, the leading publisher in luxury travel and lifestyle magazines for affluent Chinese travelers, announces the official launch of its latest publication “American Philanthropy”.

“We know that a significant part of our readers of both publications, Shanghai Travelers’ Club and Luxury hotels of America are Chinese businessmen who are currently involved with philanthropies in China and that they are also interested to continue their involvement with charities and philanthropies in the United States,” said the CEO and publisher, Pierre Gervois. “That’s why we felt the need to launch a new publication, focused entirely on philanthropic issues along with curated lifestyle content about the United States.”

American Philanthropy magazine will feature exclusive articles about America’s most influential philanthropic organizations as well as profiles of American Philanthropists. The first issue introduces organizations such as New York Community Trust, National Philanthropic Trust, Bed Stuy’s Project Re-Generation and Graham Windham to highly affluent Chinese businessmen and donors. A renowned New York philanthropist – Nancy Heiser, also vice president of wealth management at UBS Bank, has the honors of the first cover story.

American Philanthropy magazine specifically caters to the new generation of international Chinese business executives doing business with the United States. This publication is available on all platforms such as iPad, web and on China’s most important social media network, Weibo.

“ Chinese business travelers coming to the United States want to have access to sophisticated information and this is not easily available in any Chinese publication or not available at all – until now,” said Pierre Gervois. “This magazine will give them insights on the crucial role of philanthropy in the United States, as well as its connections with politics and business.”

“American Philanthropy offers excellent advertising opportunities for U.S. companies interested in reaching to highly affluent Chinese businessmen planning or already doing business in the United States,” said Janavi Kothari, Advertising Sales Representative of American Philanthropy. “This publication is so far the most targeted magazine published in the U.S. with an unique readership of prominent business owners and top Chinese international executives.”

The impact of U.S. shutdown on affluent Chinese tourists (and America’s economy)

For many in the tourism industry, the U.S. government’s partial shutdown could not come at a worse time. The week the United States closed its national parks, monuments and museums coincides with Golden Week, designated by the Chinese government as a time for its citizens to travel.
The United States was named the top “dream destination” for Chinese travelers, which make up the fastest-growing tourism market into the United States. But the dream vacation for many Chinese tourists has turned into a nightmare, according to Haybina Hao, director of international development for the National Tour Association, whose tour operators and other members focus on travel into and within North America.
“Many Chinese visitors have saved for years to take the trip of a lifetime to our country. They wanted to see Yellowstone, the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon,” Hao said. “But they’re seeing none of it. They are extremely frustrated and confused by U.S. politics.”
While Chinese travelers are losing a golden opportunity, U.S. tour operators are losing money. “I had a group of 25 Chinese visitors who planned to visit Yellowstone this week, but they cannot get in,” said Sonny Sang of California-based ACC America China Connection, a member of NTA’s China Inbound Program. “I re-routed them to another destination, but I’ll lose $10,000 on this group. And I have another group of 22 arriving on Sunday to see Yellowstone. The financial consequences are unbearable for me as a small tour operator.”
More and more Chinese have been arriving since 2008, when China began to allow leisure travelers to visit the United States in group tours. Since then, China has become the fastest-growing source of visitors for U.S. hotels, restaurants and attractions. Last year Chinese visitation here increased 41 percent, and spending by Chinese travelers rose 19 percent, following 47 percent increases in both 2010 and 2011.
Pierre Gervois, CEO of China Elite Focus Magazines, LLC and Publisher of luxury travel magazines in Chinese language such as the Shanghai Travelers’ Club, Luxury Hotels of America or Niuyue Mag, said “ We have reports of  very affluent Chinese tourists who have cancelled at the last minute their luxury shopping trip to the U.S. because of the shutdown. Knowing that they would have spent millions of dollars in shopping in the U.S., it’a direct and measurable loss for the U.S. economy”
Now they just need a place to spend it. “The tour operators I talked to are really scrambling to find alternative activities, including a tour operator who has more than 20 groups in the U.S. this week.” Hao said. “Compared to other countries that utilize creative ways to lure Chinese tourists, the U.S. shutdown will shatter the confidence of international travel companies.”
Many U.S. tour operators have become creative in salvaging their groups’ experiences, including Neil Amrine, owner of Guide Service of Washington (DC). “The biggest disappointment is the Smithsonian being closed, but we’re coming up with other solutions,” said Amrine, who revised the itinerary for a group of Chinese travelers this week, adding for-profit attractions and employing little-known pathways to view popular monuments. “They weren’t thrilled at first, but I think they’ll leave happy.”
The challenge for tour operators—and for the entire U.S. tourism industry—is to work with city and regional tourism organizations to develop alternatives to national parks and monuments that will satisfy travelers. Most are finding a wealth of options across the country, from California to Washington, D.C. At the same time, they’re keeping an eye on continuing closures and tourism roadblocks caused by the shutdown.
“We’re fielding calls nonstop and posing alternatives that are working,” Amrine said. “We’ve had only one group cancel, so we’ve been lucky… so far.”
As Gervois concluded” The purchasing power of Chinese inbound tourists in the United States is now so important for the country’s economy than it’s more than ever necessary to reach a bipartisan consensus to protect the travel and tourism industries’ interests”
Source: www.chinesetouristsinamerica.com