ChinaEdge Tourism Sector Education Tour to Western China

China Edge: Tourism Market

A full impact, immersive, insightful and valuable experience for tourism and hospitality professionals seeking to truly understand the Chinese tourism market

What are the issues that tourism professionals are facing when it comes to China?

What major changes and shifts will take place in this market?
How open is the market for Chinese visitors now? What can we learn from past development?
How can my business take advantage of the Chinese travel boom?
What do we need to do in order to better serve the Chinese market?
Online travel – is China ready to fully embrace the online revolution?

China Edge Expedition – discover the market, learn the lessons, be immersed in the culture

Chinese tourism is undoubtedly close to becoming the most dominant market in the world which will impact on nearly every destination. The impact may be largely positive economically, but also carries risk of overwhelming tourist destinations and adding pressures on resources and communities. In order to know how to increase the positive benefits of the growth in Chinese outbound tourism while mitigating the adverse effects, a close look at the Chinese tourism industry is needed.

Roy Graff, Managing Director of ChinaContact, has closely and personally witnessed this ‘Chinese miracle’ taking shape over the last 15 years. Working inside China, the changes he experienced taking place in domestic tourism were the pre-curser to what has happened in Asia and now globally.

Over the last 8 years, Roy has given speeches, published a book, blogged and provided training to tourism destinations, hotel groups, tour operators and attractions in an effort to increase their understanding of the Chinese tourists and how to best cater for the market. He believes that the best knowledge comes from personal experience and would like to help tourism organisations and companies gain that experience first hand through a dedicated, expert program created specifically for this purpose.

In mid-October 2013, Roy will be personally leading a select group of tourism business leaders from around the world to see the real China. Most tourism professionals interested in China would have already visited Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong and perhaps exhibited at a travel show in one of these metropolises. You have seen the wealth and modernity of China now. But this is just a part of the story. In order to understand what the future holds, a closer look is needed into the effects that tourism has within China on many tourist attractions and at how 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th tier cities are now producing the next wave of middle class and affluent travellers.

Joining this group, you will:

Benefit from a deep analysis of the economic changes and demographic pressures taking place in China.
Understand Chinese culture and business etiquette through direct interaction and personal experience, focusing on GuanXi (relationships) and Lian (face).
Experience how hotels, tourist attractions and travel suppliers are catering to Chinese tourists.
Meet and conduct business discussions with hand-selected travel agents and corporate buyers in Central and Western China – the new frontier in outbound tourism.
Receive presentations and customised strategic advice from Roy throughout the trip.
After the completion of the tour, all participants will receive a personal Chinese Quality Label certificate.

The tour is planned and led by Roy Graff. All services are handled by one of the world’s leading inbound tour operator, Wendy Wu Tours. Spaces on the tour are limited to maximum of 15 people.

Who should be going ?

Directors, Senior Managers and Company Owners
Suppliers of services to incoming tourists
Hoteliers and accommodation providers
Retail specialists

The core program includes:

All domestic travel, accommodation in 5 star hotels
High quality authentic meals, bottled water and tea
Entrance fees, local english speaking guides
Chinese name cards (if needed)
Networking, training workshops and meetings
One to one advice and consultation

Excluded items:

Chinese visa (tourist visa is fine but a business visa invitation letter can be provided for an additional USD $50.00 fee);
International flights (arriving Chengdu, departing Kunming)
Travel insurance and expenses of personal nature;
Individual extension to the original program or excursions which may be offered as optional extras.

Tour dates:

Start 14 October 2013
End 22 October 2013

Locations and Cities visited:

Sichuan Province: Chengdu, Chongqing; Guangxi Province: Guilin, Yangshuo; Yunnan Province: Lijiang, Kunming

Highlights of the expedition:

Meet tourism officials and travel agents in Chengdu and Kunming
Witness the influence of Chinese tourism on local destinations and a variety of natural and man made attractions
Attend lectures on Chinese culture, business etiquette and customs
Have your China market strategy reviewed and receive custom advice on your business

Spaces are strictly limited

Download the full tour brochure with full itinerary and prices:

China Edge Western China Expedition USD
China Edge Western China Expedition GBP