VisitBritain responds to China Momentum with biggest mission to date

LONDON - As latest data shows Chinese spending in the UK more than doubled in the first half of 2013, with China becoming the highest spending Asian market, VisitBritain stages its biggest overseas business mission to date in Chengdu.

Spend and visits from China have grown faster in percentage terms than any other of VisitBritain’s twenty-two priority markets, with spend up by 132% (to £181m) and visits up by 21% in the first half of 2013 compared to the first half of 2012.

From Monday 18 November to Wednesday 20 November the China Mission will give a record number of 43 UK suppliers the opportunity to meet over 75 Chinese buyers, as well as Chinese media, in Chengdu to promote holiday destinations, tour packages, retail destinations and other high profile attractions and hotels across Britain, including The View from The Shard and The Goring. Nearly half all UK suppliers are attending for the first time (42%), looking to enhance their relationship with the Chinese travel industry.

Over 2,000 key business appointments will be conducted between influential Chinese buyers and UK suppliers during the event, alongside networking events and seminars to boost destination knowledge. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will be present and it is the first mission to receive support from two UK airports - Birmingham and London Heathrow. In September, British Airways launched a new direct route from Chengdu to Heathrow.

China is currently one of the fastest-growing tourism markets for the UK, with 14% year-on-year growth over the past few years. A record 179,000 visitors came to Britain in 2012 (up 20%), spending a total £300 million - a rise of 25%.

China’s perceptions of Britain are also strong. In the latest figures from the 2013 Anholt GfK Nations Brand Index study (NBI) released last week, out of 50 nations, China continues to rank Britain’s ‘Overall Nation Brand’ in fourth place and ‘Tourism’ and ‘Culture’ both in third place. Chinese perceptions of Britain’s ‘Historic Buildings’ and ‘Natural Beauty’ have improved this year, going up by one ranking to fourth place and one ranking to ninth place respectively. Aiming to capitalise on these positive perceptions, delegates from Blenheim Palace, Waddesdon Manor and The National Trust for Scotland will be among those representing Britain’s hugely popular built heritage at the two day event.

VisitBritain is currently working closely with six leading travel agents in China on four strategic partnership projects, covering all four corners of the country. VisitBritain’s aim is to attract 382,000 visits from China by 2016, worth £600 million in annual visitor spend.

Keith Beecham, Overseas Director at VisitBritain, commented: “We’ve seen over double the amount of Chinese spend in the first half of 2013 than in the equivalent period of 2012, so momentum is gathering pace. This is the first time China has been Britain’s top spending Asian market.

“It has now overtaken America as the biggest outbound tourism market in the world - and Britain is benefitting. It is vital that our efforts cater to this growth, so this year’s China Mission is our biggest yet. With the Chinese visa process set to improve and a new direct British Airways route from Chengdu, there is no better time to promote Britain as a destination of choice in China.”


Interesting facts
VisitBritain’s priority markets: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, USA

The new British Airways flight from Chengdu to Heathrow connects with the hometown of the Giant Panda. Currently it offers a thrice-weekly service (departs Chengdu on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday), but the ambition is to add up to 5 flights a week in 18 months.

Regional Spread: London (104,000 visits) accounted for 58% of all visits in 2012. Other popular destinations include Edinburgh (17,000), Manchester (12,000), Oxford, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cambridge. 2/5 of holiday visits to Britain are part of multi-country tours. Add ONS / IPS reference, for 2012


UK Delegates attending this year’s Mission:

An English Collection
Asia Europe TCI
Bicester Village
Birmingham Airport
Blenheim Palace
British Airways
CC Travel
China Britain Travel
China Perfect Travel
CHR Travel
Corus Corus Hotel Hyde Park
Courthouse/Bentley Hotels
ECE Travel
Evan Evans Tours
glh. Hotels
Gretna Green
GTI Travel Group
Heathrow Airport
House of Hanover
Jurys Inn Hotels
London & Partners
made
Marketing Manchester
McArthurGlen
Merlin Entertainments
Millennium Hotel Group
Shakespeare’s England
The Abbotsford Trust
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill
The Goring
The National Trust for Scotland
The View from The Shard
Tourism South East
UKVI
Virgin Atlantic
VisitBirmingham
VisitEngland
VisitScotland
Waddesdon Manor
Wangping Travel
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
WDFG
Westfield UK
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum

Sourced: TravelDailyNews