As outbound Chinese tourists travel habits change, turning from shopping to relaxing and leisure, there’s a big chance that Chinese tourists prefer to stay in their hotel to wake up late, and enjoy various hotel services and amenities. With that said, understanding Chinese tourists’ needs and demands has become undeniably important for hoteliers. Here are some insights to win over your future Chinese guests.
WiFi
Ensure a smooth and free (very rarely will Chinese tourists pay for add-ons) WiFi connection throughout the hotel. Chinese love to stay connected with their family and friends in the Far East. Status changes, photo uploads, video calls, staying connected for business purposes, whatever the reason is, they need to stay plugged in to the internet.
Unionpay / Alipay
According to research, 19.8% of Chinese tourists consider the Unionpay credit card to be the most commonly used bank card in their daily life, but sadly it is still not widely accepted abroad, which causes major a inconvenience to Chinese tourists as it limits their spending on everything ranging from shopping to food purchase to lodging. So, go ahead and prepare a Unionpay POS and believe it or not, the Chinese will be more than willing to swipe their cards!
In-House Mandarin Speaking Staffs
Regarded as one of the most spoken languages in the world, Mandarin is seen as the second global language after English. Chinese will feel pampered and welcomed when hotels have Mandarin speaking staffs that are ready to cater to their needs. I mean, who doesn’t love talking in their mother tongue?
Although Chinese travellers linguistic skills have improved over the past 5 years, they still are most comfortable with Mandarin. Knowing this, it would be a plus if hotels can provide Mandarin versions of tourism guides and maps. Â
Chinese Cuisine
According to an NTTO (U.S National Travel and Tourism Office) report, experiencing fine dining is one of the top three activities that Chinese travellers want to try during their travel. Hence, it’s not a surprise that Chinese tourists allocate more budget on food. This assumption is supported by the fact that the most important hotel amenities for Chinese guests are room service and on-site restaurants, according to a research conducted by Hotels.com.
Electric Kettle
Last but not least, an electric kettle is a necessary in-room amenity. Notice how Chinese tourists often carry water bottles? More often than not, they are always ready with aluminum water bottles on the side of their backpacks. This might sound silly for Westerners, but Chinese love to drink hot (read: boiled) water regardless of the weather.
As China’s outbound tourism flow shows no sign of stopping and with Chinese tourists seen as the single largest source market for tourists to some countries or holiday destinations, such as Bali and Maldives, it is important for DMOs to create a welcoming, Chinese tailored holiday environment. Chinese have their own standards and expectations that may seem to go against the current, and it is the DMOs job to make some adjustments and start to play the game the Chinese way. Â