2 megatrends drive Chinese tourism:
The first is an Incredible growth in the number of tourists, from 107 million in 2014 to 128 million in 2015 - on to an expected total of 200 million in 2020.
The second is a rapid shift in the way they travel: Switching from old-fashioned group tourism to independent tourism (FIT). This mirrors the development seen in all countries around the world - but the change is taking place surprising early and quickly.
Anyone who knows Chinese also know that few people love food more than they do.
And they are not afraid of trying new things. In China - or when they travel abroad.
So for restaurants wanting their a part of this business the challenge is not that Chinese don’t want to try local, Western food - the challenge is to be seen and found by them.
The basic first step for any restaurant wanting to increase the number of Chinese tourists is to get seen.
This means getting a profile on China’s leading travel-story-sharing websites.
In many cases this is inexpensive and pretty straightforward.
But: Bear in mind that Chinese want to read reviews from other Chinese travellers.
Care must be given to avoid “Google-translate” reviews from Western guests: At best they come across as irrelevant, at worst as fake.
It doesn’t take much to stand out from the competition: Make a simple - but quality - Chinese website and get Chinese menus.
Two basic steps - combined with the listings on Chinese websites - and you will be way ahead of the competition.
Everyone knows reviews and shares are important. But why not squeeze the lemon a little extra?
Give your Chinese guests a free desert, tea or coffee if they make a good review - and before you know it you will be at the top of the ranking.
At Shanghai Jungle we have developed a structured approach for attracting Chinese tourists to European cities, museums, attractions, hotels, restaurants and shops.
We call it The Jungle Funnel.
There is magic to our method: Its strength lies in a precise targeting of the tourists desires and needs in each of the 4 phases - as well as the continuous reinforcing of our own work by promoting sharing among the followers and tourists themselves.
For more information about our services, please contact us