China tourism experts make the case for attracting wealthy Chinese on luxury tours in Europe
When World Travel Market hosted the second annual WTM-ChinaContact forum on China’s tourism industry on 14th November, delegates were keen on discovering the way to profitable tourism business from China. Due to knowledge and communication gaps between the Western and Chinese tourism industries, Chinese tourists have been gaining a poor reputation for low-cost, low quality travel. The forum speakers were unanimous in declaring that this is based on the misconception that Chinese tourists are poor and badly behaved. They contend that marketing efforts should target the wealthy elite and white collar workers who spend on quality and style both at home and abroad. Equally important is providing adequate information to Chinese before they travel and managing their expectations of unfamiliar destinations.