Roy Graff at the Hurun Report Conference (22 Jan. 2014)

The Hurun Report Conference, sponsored by Bank of China  was the place to be to hear about the latest, and fast-changing  trends in Chinese High Net Worth Individuals. The event aimed at introducing to UK brands the opportunities and challenges of this growing market.  Experts in  media, business and tourism, all focusing on China, covered topics that ranged from legal and wealth management to luxury retail, education and tourism. 

Roy Graff was a guest speaker and panel chair on the luxury Chinese outbound travel market . He presented his insights on the profile, the motivation and the expectation of the luxury Chinese visitor and provided targeted advice to brands on the best ways to reach, welcome and cater these wealthy customers. Click here to see Roy’s presentation online. 

Chopsticks Club Press release :

At a business conference on 22 January, in the heart of the City of London and hosted by the Bank of China (UK) Ltd, senior executives gathered together to discuss whether London was ready to service the global aspirations of China’s ultra-wealthy. Partnered by Hurun Report – Shanghai-based publisher of the China ‘Rich List’ – and Chopsticks Club, a professional China-focussed networking group, themes of the day covered London’s attractiveness for property, investment and immigration options as well as a destination for consumer experiences and luxury travel.

Roy Graff and his panel

According to Rupert Hoogewerf, Founder and Chairman of Hurun Report, the ambition of these ultra-rich Chinese, is to “be remembered as legends.” In addition, referencing the newly published 2014 Hurun Report Survey, Hoogewerf said that 29% of rich Chinese look to the UK as the number 1 destination for independent school education, beating the US at 26% and that London now ranks number four on the preferred places to buy property after the US, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Consequently, these self-made multi-millionaires, whose average age is now 53, are moving from an entrepreneur to an investor phase and this is good news for London-based property firms like Knight Frank, who sponsored today’s event, and law and wealth management firms who are well-placed with an established legal and tax framework, to service the global ambitions of these Chinese business people.

“As leading Chinese bank in the UK, Bank of China recognises the needs and the challenges of immigrants moving to the UK,” said Madam Xiao, Chief Retail Banking Officer at Bank of China (UK) Ltd. “We can help them, via our integrated Wealth Management Services, better understand UK life, its culture, business and financial environment…and ensure that they are properly equipped to make a comfortable start in the UK.”

James Kynge, Associate Editor at the FT and Principal of China Confidential and one of the guest speakers, shared insight into a recently published survey on outbound travel trends from a cross-section of Chinese society. According to the survey, respondents ranked the UK as the number 2 intended travel destination for 2014. Mr Kynge also noted that over 160million Chinese are avid fans of Downton Abbey, using it to perfect their English pronunciation.

According to Susie Killbourn, Group Services Director for Value Retail, the company that owns Bicester Village, Bicester Village is gearing up to compete on the luxury and hospitality experience side of travel and tourism by working together to promote the best that London has to offer. According to Ms Killbourn, an astonishing “8 out of 10 of every Chinese visitor to the UK last year, visited Bicester Village for shopping”.

General Networking Buzz at Next Stop London for Chinese HNWI? Conference

“This event was insightful, informative and amazing,” said one senior executive who attended the conference, “but it shows how little we really know and how much more there is to do to service these people.”

To ensure that London is an attractive next stop for China’s high net worth individuals, it would seem that whilst culture, heritage, education and property are huge draws for the Chinese, there is much work still to be done to encourage Chinese legends to be made in London by servicing the expectations and creating luxury experiences that suit the ambition of this increasingly sophisticated group of entrepreneurs.

ENDS

Press release produced by Chopsticks Club
Contact:
H-J Colston (Ms)
Director – Chopsticks Club
Mobile: +44 (0)7881 935412
Email: hjcolston@chopsticksclub.com
Twitter @chopsticksclub #chineseinlondon
LinkedIn: Chopsticks Club

About Hurun
According to Wall Street Journal US Edition, “people often aren’t considered truly rich until anointed
by Hurun Report.” The Shanghai Authorities gave Rupert Hoogewerf, Founder & Chairman of Hurun
Report, the Magnolia Award in 2009, the Shanghai government’s highest honour bestowed upon
foreigners.

About Chopsticks Club
Chopsticks Club, founded in 1993, is a bi-cultural networking group, passionate about China. The
Club’s networking events, China-skills recruitment events and mandarin learning promote bi-lateral
links, dialogue and understanding with China through education, business and culture. The Club’s
network of over 4000 individuals, 50% of whom are Chinese, provides a wealth of insight in China’s
transformation and the changing business landscape since the start of China’s meteoric rise. For
further information about the Club, please visit www.chopsticksclub.com

What is China Edge?

China Edge inaugural launch event

3 July 2013 at the May Fair Hotel, London

For Next Workshop visit ChinaEdge.co.uk

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This is a collection of tweets from this event.

• Busy room, over 100 people. Majority have been to China. Talk starts with population background, very basic stuff.
• ‎32 mln people employed in tourism in China. 12,000 travel agencies and 300,000 hotels
• Rail network in China highly developed (puts US to shame really). Domestic tourism grows to Lhasa, Hainan and Taiwan. Lhasa is exotic. Hainan is the Chinese Hawaii, Taiwan is the new hot spot recently opened up. ‎(missed out top destinations like Beijing, Hangzhou, Xian)
• ‎(Taiwan not strictly domestic tourism. Need visa, different currency. Politically sensitive issue) the forbidden City treasures are kept in then Taipei National Palace museum.
• Inbound tourism boosted by global events hosted in China like Olympics, World Expo, F1, Asian Games etc.
• China Olympic Games was a showcase to confirm China’s position on the world stage. World Expo was about the world coming to woo Chinese visitors.4.4 foreign visitors.
• 2010 saw 55 million visitors. That includes Taiwan, Hkg.
• China 3rd destination in the world. Only 5 destinations offer sufficient service level to foreign visitors. Beijing is 4th destination city, want to have 10 million visitors by 2016.
• HKG is here included as Chinese destination. Not sure they will agree with that. For MICE the destinations are just SHA and BEJ.
• Beijing’s Olympic legacy left great convention centers and infrastructure for major events.55 hotels of 5*.
• SITE to meet in Beijing during CIBTM.
• Incentive trips mostly go to Shanghai. ICCA to meet in SHA in 2013.
• Outbound leisure travel: 1500 outbound licensed agencies. 3 JV operators got outbound license. JTB, TUI, AMEX-CITS. Only large JV at the moment,
• Internet growth drives access to information on destinations. From 384 mln in 2009 to 551 mln by 2012 (expected).
• (stats on demand for outbound is sourced on UNWTO study from 2003. Very outdated) the number of approved destinations (ADS) is now 135 at least. Asia destination at the top are Japan, Korea, Singapore. HKG and Macau are the top but are part of China culturally.
• Outbound MICE: demand for Australia,SE Asia, Dubai.
• Corporate travel to other BRIC nations and SE Asia.
• Singapore investing heavily for Chinese incentive and meetings as well as leisure. Building casinos and entertainment.
• Conclusion: China not right for everyone. Most impact in and around Asia. Total numbers mask the bias towards China and its surroundings.
• And need help of experts to facilitate relationships and tailor the product.

The summer is here. But tourism does not seem to be picking up as it should. Blame Swine flu? Recession? twitter? Michael Jackson?

What I do know is that Chinese people continue to want to travel abroad and will find ways and means of doing so, no matter how many obstacles their government or our governments put in their way. The most obvious challenge to rising numbers of Chinese visitors to Europe or the US is the difficulty in obtaining a leisure travel visa.

Even when countries sign the ADS agreement, it only applies to group package tours. Anyone who knows a bit about modern China knows that wealthy people in the big cities now do not want to travel like cattle in mass market tour groups.

It was already 2.5 years ago that experts at the ChinaContact forum on China’s tourism industry at World Travel Market concluded that Europe (and North America) should focus its attention and marketing budget on the luxury travel segment from China.

This recommendation does not mean only promoting expensive products and services. It means marketing to the right consumers in the right tone and making the experience attractive and easy to access.

So far most destinations are found seriously lacking in this department. Their main shortcoming is not realising how quickly China is being transformed socially and economically. It’s important to differentiate between the political views and statements of the government and the everyday life and aspirations of the emerging middle and upper classes of Chinese society.

I am heartened to see that some destinations are already beginning to understand this and are shifting their policies accordingly. Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea have begun to either offer an individual leisure visa or waive visa requirements altogether. They receive a million or more Chinese visitors each year.

Recently Australia and South Africa have said they are looking at offering individual visas to Chinese from the major cities. This kind of positive development needs to happen in Europe and North America as soon as possible and it is up to the industry to lobby and pressure the government to see the light.

Instead, we see new restrictions that aim to further alienate new visitors.

The UK government has announced a review of visa policies and are considering whether joining or partnering with the Schengen Visa agreement will work.

But now we have a new Home Office Minister and their priorities may be different. When I spoke to the Minister for Tourism at the British Travel Trade Fair she was not at all aware of the difficulties Chinese face in trying to visit or the dramatic drop in visits from China to the UK.

I am not confident that the Schengen Visa approach is the right one since currently only the UK among European countries is demanding biometric data at origin. The complicated visa procedure (with forms only available in English) requires the applicant to visit the visa processing centre in person. This can be an additional inter-city trip, the cost of which (and the visa application fee) is non-refundable if application is ultimately unsuccessful.

We should remember that visa policies and the behaviour of consular services in China are part of the image of the country and how Chinese first judge us. If we want Chinese to visit us by choice (as opposed to a delegation or business visit) then we need to roll out the welcome mat, not roll up the barricades.

About the author:

Roy Graff has been immersed in Asian business and culture since 1994 and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. He launched ChinaContact in 2005 after working in senior management positions for a global travel group in Shanghai and Beijing for three years. He focuses his consultancy practice on China’s tourism and hospitality sectors with an emphasis on online marketing and e-commerce.

For further information: chinacontact.org

skype: ccontact88 http://twitter.com/chinacontact

via Why are the Chinese not coming? They go where they feel welcome-09 July, 2009.

TiE UK (The Indus Entrepreneurs), the UK’s leading not-for-profit organisation for entrepreneurs, and CAN (China Advisers Network) are organising a major networking event that will see a panel of prominent entrepreneurs give their views on the substantial market opportunities that exist for UK companies in India and China in today’s economy. “The Entrepreneur’s experience in China and India” will focus on future business trends in India and China and will be an open discussion and sharing of enterprise experience in China, India and the UK.

Points for discussion will include:
•    Setting up a business in China or India.
•    Government regulations.
•    Cultural influence on potential entrepreneurs in China and India.
•    Which country is better suited to developing independent business and why?

Speakers at the event will include Arun Aggarwal, Vice President and head of consulting for EMEA at Tata Consultancy Services; Davinder Mann, Co-founder and CTO of Consensus Consulting Group; Yintong Betser, CEO of Active Anglo Chinese Communications and Edward Holroyd Pearce, Director of  CRCC Asia. The session will be moderated by Roy Graff, Managing Director of ChinaContact.

The panellists, who all have significant experience of doing business in India and China, will share their views of the different but substantial market opportunities that continue to exist in India and China today and advise on how entrepreneurs and growing companies in the UK can best position themselves to capitalise on them. The panellists will also draw on their personal experiences of setting up businesses in China or India – from dealing with government regulations to the cultural influences that budding entrepreneurs need to be aware of – and give their opinion on which of the countries that is most supportive of growing businesses.

TiE UK Board Member, Arun Aggarwal, said: “During the past year the world economy has changed beyond all recognition and new ways of doing business are emerging.  Entrepreneurs are the driving force of the economy and, as a global network with a mission to foster entrepreneurship; TiE UK can offer a unique insight into the substantial opportunities that remain for creating new and growing businesses in India and China.
“I believe that this event will provide a forum for our members and guests to reflect on the emerging markets that we need to understand in order to do business in the future, as well as an opportunity to build valuable connections.
“I would also like to thank our global sponsors – Microsoft, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Silicon Valley Bank, Nishith Desai Associates and The Standard Chartered Private Bank – regional sponsors – ABN Amro, HSBC and KPMG – and partners, such as CASS Business School, for the important support they provide in helping us achieve our common goal of fostering entrepreneurship globally.”

Roy Graff, Managing Director of ChinaContact commented: “As a member of TiE UK and a Founding Member of the China Advisers Network, I saw the potential of collaboration between these two dynamic and innovative organisations. China and India are poised to become the power bases of the 21st century global economy. Their passion for growth and development is evident, but there remain many cultural obstacles to overcome in cross-border business.  It is important for us to understand the unique characteristics of doing business in both these economies to take advantage from their growth. The UK can play an important role in fostering entrepreneurial spirit in the many young people from those two countries that come to study or work here.”

TiE UK is part of the world’s largest and most successful entrepreneurs not-for-profit network founded in Silicon Valley in 1992 with a mission to nurture entrepreneurship as the engine of wealth creation. It has since grown to 53 Chapters (branches) in 12 countries. TiE UK has been helping entrepreneurs realise their business goals since 2000 and is one of the largest Chapters in the TiE network with over 700 members. It has provided mentoring services to over 130 entrepreneurs in the last two years and organises 40 events a year.
TiE UK’s mentors include such high profile figures as Arun Aggarwal, VP – Head of Consulting, EMEA at Tata Consultancy Services; Dinesh Dhamija, Founder of ebookers; Davinder Mann, Founder of Consensus Consulting Limited; George Coelho, Managing Director of Good Energies and Founder of Benchmark Capital Europe; Tom Singh, Founder of New Look who is TiE UK’s Chairman; Lord Karan Bilimoria, Founder of Cobra Beer; Aditya Mittal, CFO of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company, and Chai Patel, Founder of the Priory Healthcare Group.
CAN was established in November 2007 by a group of founder members whose areas of business expertise range from recruitment to tourism and business consultancy to marketing. The common thread is that all members are actively working in or with Chinese businesses. CAN provides members with a forum for discussion, exchange of views and support and will act as a platform to present a corporate profile and represent the views of a group of people who share the same area of work, albeit from many different angles.
– ends –

To register for this event at the discounted rate of just £15.00 instead of £20.00 visit this page:
https://www.123signup.com/register?id=zrcmc

Editors Notes
Press contact (TiE-UK): Margaret Henry, PR Consultant, TiE UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1865 811199    Email: m.henry@oxin.co.uk
Photo available on request – post event

Press contact (CAN): Lawson Dodd

Tel: +44 20 7535 1355 Email: joanna.dodd@lawsondodd.co.uk

About the speakers

Arun Aggarwal, VP, Head of Consulting – EMEA, Tata Consultancy Services.
Arun is responsible for the development and management of the business and IT consultancy services offered across all sectors by TCS in Europe, complementing the IT and BPO services. TCS is India’s largest IT services company with over 130,000 employees and  some $6 billion turnover.  Arun was previously a Partner in PwC UK.

Davinder Mann, Co-founder and CTO of Consensus Consulting Group.
Davinder Mann is the co-founder and CTO of Consensus Consulting Group, a company operating in the IT consulting practice area for FTSE 100 clients. Earlier, he worked for AT&T as head of their Unix Kernel Product developments program in New Jersey , where he implemented the first commercial use of Amdahl mainframe UNIX on the US 800 Toll Network. Davinder returned to the UK in 1991 and founded several businesses including Umannix Computing. He holds a 1st class degree in Computer Science, is Charterd IT Practitioner and holds several directorships.

Edward Holroyd Pearce, Director, CRCC Asia
Edward read Oriental Studies at Cambridge University and Peking University and gained an MSc in International Management for China from SOAS, University of London.  He worked as an assistant manager at China Eastern Airlines and then worked at an asset management company with over US$2Billion under management, specializing in investment in China. He has a strong knowledge of the Chinese service sector with a good network of contacts in insurance, banking and finance. Calling upon his experience of living and working in China, Edward has been interviewed on TV and radio, discussing the current economic climate in China and advising Western businesses on how they should improve their operations in China.  He is also involved with supporting charities in both China and Thailand. More…

Yintong Betser, CEO, Active Anglo Chinese Communications

Yintong was born and educated in Beijing and then moved to London in 1993. Following several marketing roles within a variety of British companies, she established her own company, Active – Anglo Chinese Communications in 2001. She often speaks at seminars on China and is a regular contributor to various trade magazines. More…

Roy Graff, Managing Director, ChinaContact
Roy has been immersed in Asian business and culture since 1994 and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. He launched ChinaContact in 2005 after working in Shanghai and Beijing for three years and focuses his consultancy practice on China’s tourism and hospitality sectors. More…

About TiE UK
Founded in Silicon Valley in 1992, TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) is the world’s leading not for profit organisation that promotes entrepreneurship.  Although its birth name signifies the South Asian or Indus roots of its founders, TiE stands for Talent, Ideas and Enterprise. TiE’s core activities are mentoring and education programmes and networking events.  The network links budding entrepreneurs to successful and prominent entrepreneurs and professionals through its unique Mentoring Programme.  TiE also organises a TiEger’s Den Business Pitch Competition, inspirational networking events and Special Interest Groups in Healthcare, Outsourcing, Social Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital.
The TiE network includes many participants in the entrepreneurial ecosystem – high profile entrepreneurs as well as up and coming entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, angel investors and professionals that specialise in services to support entrepreneurs.  Launched in 2000, TiE UK operates from London and Manchester.  It has over 140 Charter members and over 900 regular members, making it the second larget Chapter globally. TiE UK’s partners include: the CBI; London Business School, Cass Business School; The Hub; Make your Mark (Enterprise Insight); British Library Business & IP Centre; Manchester Junior Chamber of Commerce; Warwick University; Said Business School at Oxford University; the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at Cambridge University; Manchester Business School; Manchester Metropolitan University Business School’s Centre for Enterprise and Imperial Entrepreneurs.
TiE UK is sponsored by: ABN AMRO Private Banking; HSBC Bank; KPMG. TiE Global is sponsored by: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Silicon Valley Bank, Nishith Desai Associates and The Standard Chartered Private Bank. For further information: http://www.tie.org

About China Advisers Network (CAN)
CAN was established in November 2007 with a group of founder members whose areas of business expertise range from recruitment to tourism and business consultancy to marketing. The common thread is that all members are actively working in or with Chinese businesses. CAN provides members with a forum for discussion, exchange of views and support and will act as a platform to present a corporate profile and represent the views of a group of people who share the same area of work, albeit from many different angles.
The inspiration for CAN came from Madeleine Sturrock of PanCathay Consulting “Having worked with China for many years, it struck me that the boutique or independent consultancy needs a dedicated forum. These niche firms bring a particular point of view to doing business with China and offer specialist insights which can be invaluable to firms and organizations who want to get their business with China on the right track. CAN offers the platform to source a whole variety of Chinese expertise in one place – a valuable tool for any company looking for information and knowledge on China.”
http://www.china-advisers-network.com

In response to all these questions and in light of the current situation, Chopsticks Business, Schmittzehe & Partners China Advisory and Chatham House are hosting a series of three panel discussion events in 2009 aimed at the business community to provide insight into what is happening in China and what businesses can expect. In other words, how can UK Plc prepare itself strategically to be an attractive partner for China over the months and years ahead? What is the Stimulus Package? How will Chinese companies go global? How can companies prepare themselves for shifts in consumption patterns? How UK Plc reacts, responds and engages with China during this recession will be critical.

via China and the Global Financial Crisi.

It seems that the breaks on outbound travel are only indirectly attributed to the economy, as opposed to the direct link in the West between the banking and credit crisis and people’s crisis of confidence and over cautiousness.

In China long haul travel is about half business and half leisure. Recent scandals involving officials having fun trips at the tax payer’s expense in Dubai, Las Vegas and other places led to a firm hand by the government restricting official indulgence. It is possible that the climate of uncertainty is moving the government to pay close attention to gripes of ordinary citizens. In addition, the wide spread use of internet blogging and BBS means information can reach a much larger number of people before it can be suppressed. In the scandals mentioned, citizens produced proof of officials abusing their position by going sightseeing and on cruises when they were supposed to be on official business trips.

It has gotten to the point that the government issued a directive not to spend public money on sightseeing at all overseas. The itinerary must show official business on each day of the tour and the number of people, and tour days, are to be reduced.  Budget will be closely scrutinised and change to the itinerary will not be allowed. This makes it very difficult for the usual small suppliers to make any profit from the such tours, since they can no longer earn commissions from attractions, retail venues etc.

Business people are finding that visas to Europe and the US are more difficult to obtain for several reasons. While this is only speculation on my part, it seems logical that in times of economic woe Western governments will guard their borders tighter than in boom times. Politically it is safer to keep immigration low (especially illegal immigration) to the instinct is to restrict visas. Anecdotal evidence in China supports this.

At the same time, the companies in Europe or US that would be inviting and hosting Chinese business people cannot stick to the marketing and expansion budgets of the past so they would be cutting down on international exchanges and reciprocal visits.

This leaves us with leisure travel – ADS groups and individuals. It is fair to say that ordinary tourists are thinking more about spending money and may be choosing closer and cheaper destinations. However I think the real motivation is nationalistic – supporting China at time of crisis by travelling domestically and boosting local demand to offset the fall in export earnings. This is what the government is certainly hoping for.

The optimistic evaluation is that winter is always slow for long haul outbound travel and China can sustain a reasonable growth in outbound tourism for another couple of years despite, or thanks to, the global recession. Chinese are usually quick to spot a bargain – there are already groups of Chinese going to the US to purchase property. As other markets falter and hotels are forces to cut prices we will see Chinese travel companies jumping at the opportunity to offer big discounts on tours to Europe and the US. The strength of the Chinese Yuan reinforces this outlook.

For foreign companies that are thinking if this is a good time to enter China (or indeed the right time to exit China), I would say this is a fantastic opportunity. Cost of doing business will be lower – salaries that have grown too quickly in China will remain in check and the government will do much more to help inward investment than in the past. Those that see the opportunity and go for it will emerge ahead in a shorter space of time than during a ‘good economic’ period. Conside that for this year’s international travel trade exhibitions, registration is down drastically. So if you are at the show you are 2 or 3 times more likely to be visible compared to any other year. The buyers will still come, but will have more time to spend with you and discuss business. That can’t be bad!

From Roy Graff of ChinaContact (Xian, Shaanxi, China 2 March 2009)

What this means is that Western companies and destinations need to get smarter in how they market and sell travel services in China. It used to be the case that simply becoming an approved destination (ADS) was enough to start getting tour groups, and a photo-op with a Chinese government leader got you all the business you needed. This is no longer true. Consumers shop around, research destinations online and share experiences with others that have been on chat rooms and web forums.

When it comes to travel within China, things have also changed almost beyond recognition. The Chinese invested heavily in infrastructure while entrepreneurs built countless hotels, resorts and other services for travellers. This has indeed led to increased cost of travel but at the same time opened up more destinations and made travel in China more accessible.

The fast pace of development has created problems, ranging from overcrowding to corruption and environmental damage. There are ways to manage this growth in a sustainable way and China can and indeed often does learn from other experienced and mature tourist destinations to figure out the best way forward.

Since 2006, I have directed the WTM-ChinaContact forum each year in November as a way of raising awareness in the West of what China means in the tourism world and how more Western organisations and companies can benefit from the emergence of a dynamic travel market in China. It has been a cornerstone of the forum from the beginning that tourism development with China must be a bi-lateral and bi-directional collaboration as this is the preferred way of doing business in China in any sector.

My vision is to motivate more companies to formulate a sound strategy for China engagement and bring the two sides together to exchange ideas and information. The support we’ve received from the national tourism boards of both the United Kingdom and China is proof that they recognize the importance of the effort. For the past two years our expert speakers and panellists have provided an insight into the operation of successful West/China business cooperation and shared practical advise with delegates. I was pleased to see in the forum delegates not only from the UK and Western Europe but from the US, North Africa, Middle East and Australia.

In 2008, we will continue bringing more examples of successful business relationships between Chinese and Western tourism organizations and give advice and help to companies on things like product development, relationship building, cultural awareness, sales and marketing.

One area that needs to be carefully studied is the use of online media in China, since it is so different from the West. Understanding the differences and harnessing the power of this new media is crucial to success in China. Conversely, Chinese destinations wishing to market themselves in the West need assistance and guidance on working with media channels in the West.

This year, China has been featuring prominently in the headlines so it is unavoidable that more people are taking an interest. The Olympics Games provided a window into China that can now be used to develop more tourism business. At the same time, the experience of these Olympic Games gives us several important lessons when it comes to targeting consumers in China or thinking of sending our clients there – be it leisure, business or incentives.

I selected a range of speakers that can bring their experience to bear on these topics. They are not simply representatives of companies engaged in tourism with China, they are individuals who themselves made in-roads into this market and proved that the Chinese tourism industry is healthy and profitable.

The WTM-ChinaContact forum is a chance for those involved in tourism to find out the real situation of China’s tourism industry and understand how the opportunities in the market can be applied to their business. Destinations will learn the best marketing methods; tour operators will hear examples of successful market penetration and learn how to forge close links with partners in China; travel agents will discover exciting opportunities for new travel products in China. This event comes only once a year. In 2008, as economic uncertainty surrounds us, we must look ahead and go where the market can bring us the best return on investment. For those that know how to play the game, this place is increasingly called ‘China’.
—————————————————————————————–
Roy Graff is Managing Director of ChinaContact and a recognized expert on China’s tourism industry. He counsels tourism destinations and travel/hospitality companies on market access, marketing and sales strategy. Roy spent three years in China in senior business development roles for a leading multinational tour operator. He launched ChinaContact in 2005.

To learn more about the WTM-ChinaContact forum visit http://www.future-of-travel.org or call +44 20 32399688

ChinaContact, a leading market entry specialist consultancy for China tourism and hospitality, will be assisting the Ghana Tourist Board and a significant delegation  of tour operators from Ghana to exhibit at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market in Beijing, April 14-16.

Following on ChinaContact’s previous work on behalf of VisitBritain, UKinbound and Visit London among other clients, this year at COTTM the company is working on behalf of Visit London, several UK-based tour operators and the Ghana delegation.  COTTM is held at China World exhibition centre in East Beijing.
Roy Graff, ChinaContact’s Managing Director, will attend the exhibition on 14 and 15 April. On the 16th of April he will be among the delegates at the International Forum on China’s Outbound Tourism which  is held at the new Sofitel Wanda hotel. ChinaContact is IFCOT’s official European partner and registration agent.

ChinaContact is a full service market entry consultancy serving the travel and hospitality sectors. They offer a variety of services from localisation and event production to full representation in China. For an appointment with Roy during his visit to China, email ChinaContact with your requirements or questions.

Contact: info(at)ccontact.com

Tel: +44 20 32399688

Telephone in China: +86 13511013224

More details can be found on the website: www.chinacontact.co.uk