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Hoteliers preparing for Chinese visitors
Hotel brands are updating menus, hiring bilingual people for their staffs and even offering access to Chinese television stations in anticipation of future waves of Chinese visitors that should grow in future years.
“We see that in the past five years it’s grown rapidly,” Yong Guo, president of the North America Chinese Entrepreneur Association,” told The New York Times. “You can see it from the travel volume, especially in the summertime. You can see it in the ticket prices.”
The US State Department last year issued nearly half a million visas to mainland-born Chinese nationals headed to the US either for business or for a combination of business and pleasure. Visitors came in spite of what can be a months-long process to obtain a visa.
But there’s an expected 232 percent increase in Chinese visitors expected over the next five years, says the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, despite potential problems.
Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Starwood Hotels and Resorts are among the hotel management companies that are starting or have recently introduced initiatives to welcome Chinese travelers, says the Times.
“We think we’re looking at about a 50 percent growth on an annual basis, and that will compound,” said Christie Hicks, head of global sales for Starwood.
Starwood’s new touches aimed at appealing to Chinese travelers include adding bilingual staff members, slippers and tea kettles offered in guest rooms and local sightseeing information in Chinese.
Another chain, Hilton introduced a welcome program in 51 hotels in 33 global destinations for Chinese travelers, including 22 hotels in the United States. These include bilingual employees and a welcome letter in Chinese.
By David Wilkening
David
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