World urged to be better prepared for Chinese travellers
Xinhua, September 20, 2015 Adjust font size:
Western merchants need to stop treating Chinese as "walking wallets or handbags" and prepare to receive more Chinese travellers, according to tourism professionals at a expo in Tianjin.
"A Chinese saying goes that harmony creates wealth. Goodwill, appreciation of different cultures and harmony will translate into wealth on different levels," said Garry Crockett, global executive chairman of China Ready & Accredited.
Statistics show Chinese made 100 million trips overseas in 2014. China has become the third-ranking country as a source of outbound visitors.
More Chinese will travel overseas, and they will not only buy foreign brand products, but also demand better service and respect for their culture, said Crockett, who spent 30 years as director of the Accommodation Association of Australia.
Crockett called on both western merchants and Chinese travellers to respect each others' culture.
"For example, many Chinese are thought to be too noisy. Westerners need to understand that speaking loud is the Chinese cultural norm, not a sign of aggression or rudeness, but as a sign of warmth, energy and passion," he said.
Chinese travellers also need to understand the culture of the country they are visiting, in order to get a better travel experience, he said.
According to a report by the World Tourism Cities Federation, Chinese travellers spent 165 billion U.S. dollars in overseas trips, making up to 11 percent of the total revenue generated from international tourism in 2014. The number of overseas visitors will continue to grow in the coming years, it said.
Chinese travelers are important in the global shopping market, said Gregory Gelhaus, Asian-Pacific CEO of Global Blue Service Company, a Swiss tax consultancy.
In the second quarter this year, about 39 percent of Global Blue's customers were Chinese, up 76 percent from last year, he said.
"Western companies can not benefit without putting something back. They need to invest in training and become China ready," said Crockett. Endi