EU EYES BIG-SPENDING CHINESE TOURISTS
Europe can expect to welcome 20.8m mainland travellers by 2022, says agency
CHINESE tourists are big spenders and with the numbers visiting Europe set to soar by nearly 70 per cent over the next five years, the countries of the Old Continent are rolling out the red carpet to make the guests feel welcome.
A total 12.4 million Chinese, mostly in guided tour groups, came to Europe last year, according to the European Travel Commission (ETC). And the Chinese Tourism Academy (CTA) is expecting the number to reach 20.8 million by 2022.
“A few years ago, the Chinese came to Europe solely to do some shopping. Now, they’re increasingly keen to get to know the culture and the countryside,” said CTA president Dai Bin at the launch of the ‘Year of Tourism’ between the EU and China.
China is the world’s biggest market for foreign tourism — with 129 million Chinese holidaymakers travelling abroad, they account for one fifth of the total number of tourists globally.
And they spend more than twice the amount that, say, the United States tourists do — US$261 billion (RM1.03 trillion) in 2016 compared with US$123 billion.
Small gestures could go a long way in making Chinese tourists feel more at ease in Europe, said Jacopo Sertoli, head of Welcome Chinese, a body that awards certificates to tourism firms catering for Chinese customers.
Chinese language television stations and good WiFi in hotel rooms are a good idea while payment methods favoured by the Chinese, such as UnionPay, the only credit card issuer in China, WeChatPay or Alipay are a must.
Dai said Europe should reduce the red tape for its Chinese visitors. “We hope Europe will make is easier for Chinese to get a visa.”
According to ETC data, France is the top desired destination in Europe for Chinese tourists, with 61 per cent of visitors hoping to go there, followed by Germany with 37 per cent and Italy with 28 per cent.
Nevertheless, that picture has started to change in recent years, and travel to eastern Europe is booming, not least because of the easier allocation of visas and the increased availability of cheap flights. The string of terrorist attacks in France and Germany in recent years is also a factor. AFP