UK: A Popular Destination for Chinese Travelers

Chinese tourists, according to a tourism research institute in China, made 136.8 million outbound trips in 2016. These outbound tourist travels have mostly been to the UK. The UK is truly an amazing place. From the Scottish Highlands to the White Cliffs of Dover, the UK has a myriad of attractive places to visit and exciting things to do. Statistics from various reputable agencies have shown that the UK is a popular destination for Chinese travelers. According to Ctrip for example, the biggest Chinese tourist agency, the number of Chinese travelers to the UK saw a 30% upward surge between the period of April and June 2017. One would therefore ask, what do the Chinese tourists like to do while in the UK? The Chinese travelers to the UK come with a determination to visit every capital and also to shop. First-timers normally visit the Vineyards of Bordeaux while other frequenters visit places like the Big Ben in London. The UK is associated with a sense of sophistication and class by Chinese tourists. They deem the country to connote prestige, wealth and luxury. The top search results on Baidu (China’s leading search engine) for Chinese UK travel agencies revealed, as the top result, “glamourous travel”. With the emphasis on glamor, the Chinese travelers are evidently interested in experiencing high class and special moments while in the UK. London has always been one of the leading places visited by the Chinese in the UK. The purple-lit “London Eye” is an iconic image in London lends the city that feeling of it being a luxurious and high-class destination. It also serves as the landing point for the travelers who seek to travel further in the UK. In addition to London, the Telegraph reported Bicester Village and Buckingham Palace as the other two major UK attractions visited by the Chinese tourist. The Buckingham Palace is where the British Monarch resides and is a spectacular work of Victorian architecture. It is an iconic landmark that where the Changing of the Guard ceremony is done. The Chinese enjoy watching the royal guard in their awe-inspiring regalia. Bicester Village, on the other hand, is a shopping outlet. Situated in Oxfordshire, it is renowned for having luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Prada. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists flock to this place to get their share of designer products at affordable prices. Middle-class Chinese tourists usually travel in coaches and in groups, with their Chinese guides usually tagging along carrying umbrellas. During such tours, they are usually after an experience of history and culture. Cynical Chinese youth will, however, tell you that these middle class Chinese are not usually after the culture or history but after the goods. They come to purchase items then go back home to sell them to the non-travelers. The Chinese traveler views the UK as a popular destination for tourism and visit. Whether the visits are for the glamour, for the history, for the goods or for the culture, statistics reveal that the UK is a favorite choice for the Chinese. Source: Chinese Tourist Agency