A report reveals that in order to capitalise on the Chinese travel boom, hospitality players in the MENA region need to understand China's digital payment systems and provide for Mandarin-speaking staff and Chinese-language written materials.
In order for the MENA region to capitalise on the Chinese luxury travel boom, a number of factors, such as familiarity with China's own digital payment systems and provision of Mandarin-speaking staff and Chinese language materials, have to be incorporated into the marketing strategies of hospitality industry players, a report revealed.
The report issued by The Luxury Conversation, a platform that provides insight into Asia’s growing luxury consumer, stated that demand drivers for the MENA region also include the ability to appeal as a "new and exotic" travel destination to the Chinese traveller and the readiness to conduct outreach on the Chinese mainland in order to remain top of mind among Chinese consumers when they are making travel plans.
“The MENA region is becoming a hot spot for China’s growing group of luxury travellers. Many have already gone to Asia, Europe and America and are seeking more unique getaways that blend great hospitality, unique culture and experiences, shopping and local cuisine,” said Nick Cakebread, managing partner for Reuter Communications, a luxury marketing agency that commissioned the report.
| Advertisement |
The MENA region has lagged behind destinations such as Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and North America in popularity, but is now witnessing a boom in Chinese visitors. Growth has been partly driven by local travel incentives introduced into the region, including visas on arrival for Chinese nationals visiting the UAE, and the rising sophistication of Chinese travellers seeking new destinations off the beaten path. Additionally, China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative, which cuts through the Middle East and Africa, has the potential to put MENA on the map for travel savvy Chinese.
The outbound Chinese travel market is currently worth US$ 168 billion and still on the rise, with the 120 million and still-growing band of Chinese consumers travelling the world in search of local culture, experiences, food and shopping, the report said.
The report revealed three major opportunities for brands in the MENA region.
Click through to find out what these are...
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
