The UK is missing out on the lucrative Chinese tourism market due to lack of connectivity and poor visa services, a new study has found.
Chinese travellers will spend £34.8 billion in Europe in 2011, estimates suggest, with the annual figure expected to reach £60 billion by 2015.
The UK, however, is lagging behind France, Germany and Italy in attracting its share of Chinese visitors.
Of an estimated 3 million Chinese visitor trips to Europe in 2010, the UK hosted 127,000, while between 500,000 and 700,000 visited the aforementioned European countries.
Kevin Latham, a senior lecturer at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and author of the report said the UK’s non-inclusion in the Schengen agreement and a lack of direct flights to Chinese destinations put many visitors off coming to the UK.
He also said more Chinese language information should be supplied, and better use made of online marketing, particularly with social media.
While Europe is a prestigious travel destination, there is “no inevitability” to Chinese visitors continuing to come, said Latham.
Suppliers in the UK and the rest of Europe must “seek a more holistic understanding” to attract visitors from China, he said, or risk losing out to closer destinations in Asia.
Sandie Dawe, Visit Britain’s CEO, admitted: “Chinese visitor numbers to the UK have been steadily rising over the last few years, but we can clearly do more to attract an even greater number.”
The report “How the rise in Chinese tourism will change the face of the European travel industry” was commissioned by Hilton Hotels and Resorts, which has recently introduced a new programme, Huanying, to better cater for the Chinese visitor abroad.
Hotels participiting in the scheme guarantee a Chinese breakfast as well as Chinese teas and television channels in the bedrooms, and a Chinese-speaking member of staff at reception.