China Ready - Sally Davis Berry

Are you already welcoming Chinese visitors? Are you interested but don’t know where to start? Or are you a destination or attraction that thinks you will never see visitors from that country?
I am here to tell you that this huge market is changing the face of tourism around the world. The population of China is 1.4 billion people and the latest research shows that less than 10% of Chinese have a passport that will let them travel outside the country. That means the potential for growth is huge!

As many of my readers already know, I am considered an expert in welcoming Chinese visitors. Not because I speak Mandarin, or because I lived in China. But because I work at an attraction that has been welcoming Chinese visitors since 2007. I saw the opportunities to grow that market and dove in to learn more about how tour operators work, what Chinese guests will pay for, and even started traveling to China on sales missions. Helping other tourism professionals become China ready is a passion of mine.

New website, new feature

I am re-launching my blog from TheAttractionsCoach to SallyDavisBerry and wanted to start with a series of posts that would cover a specific topic. Helping everyone get more Chinese visitors is a passion of mine, so that is where we will start. I have been writing about this market for a while now. My previous posts on WeChat, How to impress Chinese operators, and 10 steps to welcoming Chinese guests are some of my more popular posts.

Upcoming topics on Chinese tourism

Over the next few weeks, I will share my insights on the changing trend from large groups to FITs, what types of experiences Chinese guests enjoy- and don’t enjoy- and how to work with other destinations to capture the visitor traffic. If you have a topic you would like to know more about, email me at Sally@sallydavisberry.com and let me know.

China ready resources in 2019

It’s not too early to start planning next year’s strategies. I will be offering two opportunities for my readers who want more success in the China visitor market.

WeChat course

I am working on an online course for those of you who aren’t comfortable with WeChat yet. WeChat is the preferred method of communication with Chinese tour operators. Being comfortable using WeChat is key to success in this market and my online course will be easy to follow. Sign up here to be placed on the waiting list and to be the first to hear when the course launches!

China sales mission program

I have been asked to make introductions to key tour operators over the years and have been happy to do so. The challenge is that this market is completely different than any other visitor market and results can be limited.
I have developed a program that will get participants trained and prepared for this market before they meet with operators. My 3-month program will include training, one on one calls to make sure your tourism product is appropriate for the market and most importantly, sales calls with me in Chinatown and Flushing, NY. I know the key contacts at the largest offices and will get time on their calendars. You will have a path to success with this exclusive program. Interested? Stay tuned for more information. This program will be limited to just 10 people.

Final thoughts

If you have read this far, I assume you want to learn how this market will impact your business over the next few years. You’ve come to the right place and I am here to be your guide. If you are a DMO, could you forward this email to a few of your partners? If you are an attraction or other supplier, could you forward this to your DMO? And to all my other readers: who is someone that you would want to partner with when reaching out to Chinese tour operators? Send it to them so you can learn together. Let me know what topics you need more information about, and I will add it to another post. Thanks for reading!