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China

International Campaign - China

Key facts:

  • China is Britain’s 22nd source market for visits (10th for spend)
  • Estimated to be York’s 2nd largest overseas market, after entering the top 5 years ago.
  • Our fastest growing market in terms of volume (11% including Hong Kong)
  • Almost all holiday visitors from China are Chinese nationals China is the most valuable market for international tourism expenditure, with a worldwide spend of US$277bn in 2018
  • Direct route from Beijing to Manchester with Hainan Airlines
  • Sister city agreement with Nanjing for tourism, education and business activity
  • Buzzseekers and Culture Buffs are VisitBritain’s priority segments in the Chinese market
  • Chinese visitors tend to be younger than the average visitor to the UK: about 46% of visits from China were made by people aged 16-34 years old in 2018
  • Those visiting Britain from China are more likely than average to be making their first visit
  • 73% of departing staying holidaymakers from China were ‘extremely likely’ to recommend Britain for a holiday or short-break in 2017
  • The Chinese associate Britain highly with ‘museums’, and also films and sports
  • Visitors appreciate ‘support’ in the form of Chinese language facilities (signage, Mandarin-speaking staff, Chinese TV channels, for example)

Destination partner for VisitBritain/Marketing Manchester's Chinese campaign:

Working with Hainan Airlines - this includes a page in a new A5 Mandarin Guide, placement on Chinese microsite, trade and press pack information and posts on Manchester's Chinese social channels. We will also have representation at key events happening as part of this programme.

2 x fam trips – trade and press as part of this campaign.

New partnerships for 2019/20 will include working with CAISSA, Ctrip and HCG (ETI):

  • Being a part of the Great China Welcome Charter which has currently been awarded to 300 UK businesses
  • Attendance at China Outbound's Annual Dinner in November 2019

Assets:

6th edition of the York Chinese Visitor Guide - 35,000 copies produced in July 2019 and distributed via incoming airlines from China, in Chinese Visa Centres, stocked at UK airport lounges and key hotels in London, Manchester Leeds and York

Video/photography:

We will be producing a new Mandarin video and commissioning new photography for our partners with Chinese models.

Continuing to build our Chinese database of operators (77 contacts to date).

VY e-news will go out 2 x per annum featuring your content in Mandarin. (Open rate 14.5 %)

CAISSA, U-tour, GZL, Guangdong Nanhu Int, China Bamboo Garden, CHR, Q Travel, CITS and China Holidays are now featuring York in their regular programmes.

OTAs – featuring York and York Pass include CTrip, Linktour and Tuniu.

Re-invigorating links with both Universities to maximise our connections with their Chinese students and their parents

CTO/LNER Chinese operator familiarisation trip and workshop Oct 2019

Welcome training course for York members to participate in

Discover England Fund – Horseracing Sport of Kings:

Currently working to introduce the project to high end Chinese operators with a bespoke campaign with China Holidays.

On territory work – Destination Britain China & North East Asia (Xi’an 25-27 November 2019):

  • Visit York is planning to attend the VisitBritain sales mission taking place in Xi’an in November 2019 to meet approx 90 buyers.
  • Bolt on North of England event in Beijing to showcase York & partners
  • NEW Chinese itinerary will be produced in Mandarin for forthcoming trade mission. Your key partner flyer will be included and loaded up onto the Chinese version of the toolkit and given out on USB sticks at the show)

See current Chinese toolkit here:

https://www.visityork.org/general-and-tourist-info/travel-trade-groups/chinese-trade-toolkit

Online/Social Media Activity:

  • Social media – VY has accounts on Weibo (over 443,000 followers) and WeChat (over 10,012) which are the preferred methods of communication with the Chinese audience with half a billion users signed up to these channels. Keep us updated with your news and OE Media will post out on your behalf
  • The opportunities for 2 bespoke interview sessions with OE Media (Will and Jean Zhuang and Shuai.) to create content for new stories on Weibo and WeChat.
  • Ongoing KOL (Key opinion leader) programme with social media influencers being invited and hosted by the city, generating content for key platforms such as Mafengwo, CTrip and Qyer.

For more information on Visit York’s China marketing activity or to enquire how you can get involved, contact Michelle Brown, Marketing Manager on 01904 554456 or email michelle.brown@makeityork.com

New research has revealed insights into how the UK’s inbound tourism organisations can attract more Chinese visitors

The research, produced by Qa Research in association with UKinbound, the trade body representing Britain’s inbound tourism sector, offers a potential roadmap for businesses wishing to engage in a market worth £700m a year to the UK economy.

Gain an insight into attracting more Chinese visitors ►