Research by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) finds that the UK lags behind European countries in attracting high-spending Chinese and other international tourists to luxury hotels in London.
Characteristics of Chinese visitors to the UK:
- Spend 34% of travel money on shopping vs. 16% for all tourists
- Spend 27% on "Other" stuff (??) vs. 14% for all tourists.
- Spend less than the general run of tourists on food, accommodation, and in-country travel.
- 56% prefer 4-star hotels.
Top drivers of destination choice by Chinese tourists:
- Sightseeing opportunities 47%
- Safety 42%
- Value 37% (Varies by age and income.)
- Shopping 34% (Varies by sex and FIT vs. group.)
- Tourist activities 32%
- Transport connections 30%
- Recommendations/reviews/social media 28%
- Visiting a different culture 26%
- Weather 26%
Key takeaways cited:
- A new visa application process permits Chinese travelers to apply for UK and Schengen visas at the same time; a step in the right direction, but not sufficient in itself to attract Chinese visitors to London hotels.
- "Unsophisticated" Chinese market needs to be educated about the value of luxury accommodation. Could take 5 years.
- An integrated, multi-channel marketing campaign involving high-end retailers as well as hoteliers, and using Chinese social media, would be helpful.
- Don't fail to continue selling the city to Americans.
- Be proactive now to ensure viability of these markets tomorrow.
A couple of questions:
- If the "unsophistication" of the Chinese market for luxury accommodation is a problem for the UK and London, why it it not also a problem for for the European destinations behind which London lags?
- If "value" is a top-3 driver of destination choice for Chinese tourists - and especially so for "Core Premium" travelers - why does this report address neither short-term nor long-term implications of the post-referendum slide of the GBP?
