Easing our way east
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While the UK Government slowly mulls over how it can open up the UK to Chinese visitors, travel in the other direction is on the up. After assessing the Chinese inbound market earlier this week, Amanda Greenwood investigates the case for UK tourists heading to China.
Some may say there are few countries that hold much mystery for the UK traveller these days and yet there are more difficult-to-pronounce place names being added to flight networks every month. Amongst those are several from China, a country that is so vast and huge that it will take some time for the entire country to be covered, especially as capacity here in the UK is so tight.
Yet carriers are still finding space, with Air China, China Southern and China Eastern amongst the national carriers flying direct from London to China, with British Airways to join them in December with its Chengdu services. Indirect routes through Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha are also a popular means of reaching the country.
Earlier this week I outlined how visa regulations are one of the biggest problems for Chinese tourists who want to visit the UK. For Brits wanting to head to China, the situation appears to be getting easier each year and will no doubt help to boost a 2.2% dip in overseas tourists in 2012. Currently UK tourists can apply by post or in person and vary in length, or can have the service done by them if they book with particular tour operators. However, there are some new initiatives coming through which will help the more independent traveller reach the country.
Visa-free 72-hour stays
The first new initiative to come through is a 72-hour/three-day scheme that means UK tourists do not need a visa to visit China’s top cities during this limited period. This option was first introduced on 1 January for travel to Beijing and Shanghai and means the traveller must be able to show they are heading to a third country. It was also recently announced that the 72-hour option will be available in Guangzhou from next week (1 August).
To mark the launch, China Southern Airlines has introduced a free one-night stopover hotel stay in the city, similarly to Singapore Airline’s scheme in Kuala Lumpur, to encourage more people to stay. This will include a shuttle bus service to the hotel and can be arranged at the airport on arrival, with brands including Hyatt, Crowne Plaza, Ritz-Carlton and Shangri-La.
The 72-hour initiative brings more options to the UK tourist in several different ways.
1. UK tourists do not need a visa for same-day international transfers, or up to three days
2. Chance to use China as a stopover destination for Australia or Asia, like Singapore or UAE.
3. Eases the situation for business travellers who may set up a few meetings before jumping onto another destination.
4. It is a way for cruise passengers to add a pre-stay before sailing away on their itinerary.
Tour operators
For clients booking through a tour operator, the service is already very straight-forward although it depends which company the holiday is booked through.
For example specialist Wendy Wu Tours includes the price of the visa in its holidays, and offers a service to customers that means the operator does the work for them once they have a completed form and passport.
Its most popular duration is 14 nights so the 72-hour option does not affect the organised tour market, but I got some insight into the market following a chat with Wendy Wu’s managing director Laurence Hicks.
“We are aiming for 30% growth this year and are heading towards achieving that; we are definitely seeing growth,” he said. “British people heading to China typically book their holidays six months in advance so we are expecting a surge for the winter period now. We are focused on the family and singles markets, with our no single supplement options and free child places in hotels which is a first for China. So there is more innovation in our programme and we feel positive about demand for the year.”
While the debate around airport capacity in London seems to paint a bleak picture about capacity into China, Hicks only spoke of positivity that there are now more direct flights such as those mentioned above. His comments also alluded to the impact of travel and tourism on UK business, an argument being pushed to the UK Government when it considers visa schemes and airport capacity strategies.
“More airlines are opening up the gateway and we will utilise those services to make the journey better for our customers,” he said. “As the ex-China outbound market grows it in turn helps out the UK to have these services and is an advantage for our business too.”
There have been news stories in recent months that suggest Chinese authorities are becoming tired of the little tear in red tape that the UK has made to open up the country to its residents. Yet the developments and positivity outlined here paints a picture of a country that is putting its economy first by providing multiple travel options and using tourism as a keystone to that strategy.
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