Tourism Businesses Say Ni Hao To China Growth - Gold Coast Conventions Bureau News

Tourism Businesses Say Ni Hao To China Growth | 16 August 2010

Last year 106,000 Chinese tourists spent over $60 million in the Gold Coast.

Chinese visitation to the Gold Coast increased by 15%, an exciting result given the tough global tourism market and the fact Chinese visitation to Australia only increased by 2.8% in the same period.

While Gold Coast Tourism (GCT) is not alone in recognising the business and tourism potential of China, we are one of the few Australian tourism agencies preparing our local industry to maximise the opportunity.

This week, GCT will bring together dozens of front-line tourism staff for a workshop on Chinese Culture and Customer Service. This follows last week’s Chinese Culture and Business workshop attended by around 30 staff from a variety of Gold Coast businesses seeking to increase their trade relationships with Chinese business.

“It is one thing to increase Chinese visitor numbers, it is another thing to develop a prosperous and sustainable market,” says the man charged with building the Gold Coast’s tourism profile in China, GCT’s John Chan.

“We need to break down barriers between Gold Coast businesses and our Chinese visitors and tourism distribution partners. Our ability to raise the Gold Coast’s profile in China and attract a larger quantity and quality of Chinese tourists is as much about Gold Coast businesses being able to effectively engage the market as it is about destination brand marketing.

“If Gold Coast Tourism can help foster an awareness and appreciation amongst local tourism businesses for how best to interact with both Chinese tourism businesses and consumers, then without doubt we have a far greater chance of achieving more lasting and sustainable tourism growth for the Gold Coast.”

At the GCT Chinese Culture and Business Workshop, local business learnt how to better understand, interact with, look after and sell to Chinese clients.

Three introductory tips to starting on the right foot in Chinese business are:

1) Chinese people focus on building a sincere relationship before negotiating business deals. In initial meetings share information about your business, your culture and your community.

2) Respect China’s long history of practising business. Meetings and negotiations are much more successful when a mutual respect is displayed.

3) Learn to say hello in Chinese (Mandarin) properly. A warm greeting in Chinese shows your potential as a business partner and the effort you make will be very well regarded. Hello in Mandarin is ‘ni hao’.

Since June this year, GCT has had a local Marketing Manager responsible for the Greater China market in addition to a Business Development Manager being stationed in Shanghai. The combined roles are responsible for leading promotion of the city as a leisure and business tourism destination, increasing our travel trade relationships, generating new commercial partnership opportunities, and boosting the exposure and knowledge of the Gold Coast as an international destination of choice.