I was in NYC last week to meet with some clients and check in with two of my favorite tour companies- Jupiter Legend and Big Dream tours. Both are located in Flushing- an easy subway ride from Manhattan. Jupiter Legend is the major Chinese tour operator on the East coast and Big Dream tours was started a few years ago by a one-time tour guide who has developed a niche.
Not a great year for inbound Chinese tourism
This isn’t new information- I have written about this before and other sources such as The Inbound report have verified it with others. But hope springs eternal and everyone says this year is ‘ok’ and hopefully next year will be better. But as my friend and mentor Daniel Shen said in this interview, slow or no growth in this market is still a significant amount of visitors.
Diversify
Instead of wringing their hands and complaining, the operators are diversifying their customer base. Jupiter Legend joined a BrandUSA sales mission to India the first time a few years ago. They saw the potential for growth in that market and realized that Indians travel in a similar manner as Chinese. These guests want to see a lot, are looking for value-based tours, and often travel as family groups. Anyone that works with Jupiter Legend can attest to the fact that Indian visitors get off their buses at your stops as much as Chinese. Now they are targeting Chinese who live in other countries such as Australia and parts of Europe. There aren’t as many Visa issues and it is a largely untapped market.
Get new product
The competition in this market is very intense so if there is a way to offer something different, that can help. Big Dream tours is a wholesaler who is concentrating on attraction ticketing. Because they buy large quantities and re- sell them to tour companies, they are always looking for something new to add. Larry told me there are some interesting new places he wants to add, but the tourism businesses themselves are nervous about working in the market. (If you are an attraction that wants to start working in this market, you should schedule a free call with me now! Don’t be intimidated!)
VIP guided tours
One thing that Larry and Holly from Big Dream told me is that VIP guided tours are becoming very popular. Even more popular than the chance to make something or have an experience. The VIP status comes from a private guide, getting into an area the average guest doesn’t see and more. As you know, our Asian guests love to take photos and document everything so a VIP experience brings additional social proof. Is there a VIP experience you could develop?
Shopping not as important – but still important
Woodbury Commons is a huge shopping outlet known around the world. For years it was the Gold Standard and every international visitor wanted to go there. Now there is South Coast Plaza on the West coast, the Mall of America in Minneapolis, and shopping outlets and boutiques in most major cities. Shopping was the #1 reason for many Chinese to travel years ago, but it is not anymore. The rise of internet shopping, popular brands opening shops in China and changing tastes have made shopping a part of a tour, not the reason for a tour.
The Chinese culture is a gift-giving culture so there are still gift purchases. Just not dozens of handbags and watches like before. Do you offer small, easy to pack gift items? Those will help your attraction with an additional revenue stream.
Relationships are key in this market
I have mentioned this many times, but Chinese tour operators do business with those they know, like and trust. It’s a badge of honor that some of the tour operators and guides call me “Mom”. I spent many years helping them find new tour stops, introducing them to my contacts and inviting the tour operators to events they didn’t know about. You can’t make one call at an office and expect to start getting business with this market. You need a long term, well thought out plan. The China visitor market is still a major inbound market and one you might want to consider targeting for 2020.
Could you use some help with your China sales strategy?
Are you looking to grow the number of Chinese visitors that travel to your destination? Whether your destination is just starting to target this market, or you are looking for a higher-end niche visitor, I can help you. Schedule a free 15-minute call with me now, and we can talk about your goals, concerns, and challenges. Here are some of the ways I can help your business:
Develop and Implement a Strategic Action Plan– I work with you 1:1 to develop an Action plan with a calendar of activities to implement. We will customize your product so it appeals to the Chinese visitors, and you will have a clear map to success.
Fall 2019 China Sales Mission Program – This is a cost-effective way to learn about the China visitor market, create the best product for the market and have me go on sales calls with you to major NYC based operators. I only take 7 clients into this program each session. Learn more here. Past participants have said it was a ‘fantastic program’ and that they felt ‘thoroughly prepared’ when meeting with tour companies. The program consists of
- webinars
- 1:1 meetings for product development
- training on WeChat – the social media app preferred by Chinese
- 2 days of sales calls in NYC on key operators
This program will begin in early September, with sales calls scheduled in mid-October. Much of this program is self-paced so don’t worry that you might miss something if you are traveling. We will make it work! If you want more information, just hit reply and ask away. I will follow up with you!
Don’t be intimidated by this market, or think that the opportunities are gone. You can find success with Chinese visitors!