Chinese are tourism’s biggest spenders

China overtook Germany and the United States as the largest spender in international tourism in 2012, according to UNWTO, with an expenditure of US$ 102 billion. The market is only getting bigger, in fact The Tourism Administration of China predicts that more than 100 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad in 2014.

Experts from the hospitality industry discuss increased travel within and out of China:

UNWTO says that the increase has been due to, “rapid urbanization, rising disposable incomes and relaxation of restrictions on foreign travel.”

Hotels.com has been following Chinese travel trends since 2012. The Chinese International Travel Monitor 2014 shows that 97% of Chinese travellers have been abroad for leisure and 49% have been for business and education. It says that Chinese international travellers were the top spenders for hotel accommodation in Australia, Japan, Netherlands, and New Zealand in 2013.

This monitor surveyed Chinese travellers about booking and travel behaviour. The research found that on average Chinese travellers looked at almost five sources of information when researching holidays, which is up from four in the 2013 monitor. 53% said they book accommodation online or through a mobile app. 59% of those surveyed said Free Wi-Fi was the most important service they look for on a trip abroad, and 71% of hoteliers said that Free Wi-Fi was the service most requested by guests from China. This desire for connectivity reflects global trends.

Countries across the globe, including Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, UK, and the US are targeting this growing source market with tourism campaigns and initiatives. However, according to Hotels.com, Australia is the place Chinese travellers would most like to visit. The USA was the top destination actually visited in 2013, and Hong Kong and Thailand follow in second and third place.

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Growth and opportunities in Russia

Russia’s hospitality market is young compared to other European destinations. It is growing as a destination and the number of outbound Russian travellers is also increasing. It is a unique market covering a vast space and has highly populated cities. Supply at the premium end of the market in the main cities has met demand. It is now the regional markets and midscale market that hold the opportunities.

In this briefing experts outline how they see the Russian economy, and what challenges Russia holds. Comment from:

  • Scott Antel, Partner, DLA Piper Rus Ltd  on the regional Russian markets

  • Robert Shepherd, Chief Development Officer – Europe, InterContinental Hotels Group on why it’s worth a visit to RHIC

  • Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) on Russia growing as a destination and a source market

  • Aron Libinson, VP Development – Russia, CIS & Georgia, InterContinental Hotels Group on the opportunity for growth in Russia

 

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: hospitality being noticed by global Governments

One of the biggest problems hospitality has is demonstrating to the Government’s of the World the value the industry brings to their economies. Hospitality seems to continually fall off the radar when it comes to the key drivers of change and growth across the World.

With the work of Taleb Rifai at the UNWTO and David Scowsill of the WTTC the industry is beginning to put its head above the parapet and be noticed.

In this briefing we hear from:

  • Taleb Rifai on the UNWTO and the WTTC tackling Governments together.
  • David Scowsill of the WTTC on how much tourism generates for the global economy.
  • Ed Fuller, former MD at Marriott International on the need for Governments to help the industry.
  • And Sir Nigel Knowles, co-CEO of DLA Piper LLP on problems faced by Governments at the moment.

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: the role of government

Government’s role in shaping industries is integral, hospitality is a major source of trade which they should be very aware of. In this current time as Europe struggles to come to an agreement on a stimulus package for many countries, politicians now need to look at industries which can help set the economy back on the straight and narrow. Hospitality is arguably one of the best industries for this.

The WTTC and UNWTO both work together on behalf of the private and public sector, trying to convince governments to invest more time and money into the sector. Employment, tourism and real estate development are just some of the reasons hospitality can play a pivotal role in the recovery.

In this briefing we hear from:

  • Prof. Ian Goldin, Director of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, on the need for the industry to convince politicians.
  • Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the UNWTO, on the economic argument for hospitality.
  • Ed Fuller, former President & MD of Marriott International, on the consequences of ignoring the hotel industry.
  • And David Scowsill, President & MD of the WTTC, on the resilience of the industry.
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Video clips produced by yBC.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Dragon breathing fire on Chinese market

The emergence of China as a dominant global player is no secret. Capitalizing on this new opportunity is something which many hospitality brands have been looking to tackle for some time.

Many questions have arisen due to the assumption that Western products will appeal to Chinese consumers. This is not the case. In this briefing we hear from key executives on tackling this exciting and growing marketplace, including:

  • Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Trade Organisation (UNWTO), on the wrong perception of the Chinese market but the opportunity that lies there
  • Ed Fuller, Former President & CEO of Marriott International, on the markets that the brand are looking to enter
  • David Scowsill, President & CEO of the WTTC, on the growth seen in China
  • And Yann Caillère, COO of Accor Hotels on appealing to the Chinese consumer.
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Briefing: strategies for a downturn

The continuing difficult economic environment can provide opportunity for clever businesses. Europe has been hit hard, with global ripples, by the recent recession. Understanding how to mitigate risk is therefore essential.

How has hospitality been effected by the economic downturn? Is it possible that the industry is independent of some economic trends? And what needs to happen for confidence to come back to the market?

These are some of the questions answered by this week’s experts, including:

  • Ed Fuller, President & MD of Marriott Lodging International, on his strategy in dealing with the European market.
  • Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the UN World Travel Organisation, about how hospitality can deal with economic trends.
  • And David Scowsill, President of the World Travel & Tourism Council, on what needs to happen in Europe to restore confidence.
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If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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