Chinglification in South-East Asia
In spite of more and more European countries attaining ADS (Authorized Destination Status), the number one destination for mainland Chinese tourists going abroad for the first time, remains South-East Asia. As in business, the tourist languages of preference are Chinese and English.
Chinglification in the European streets
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists will be flooding Europe in the coming few years, now that travel restrictions in China have largely been lifted and a growing middle class is acquiring the means to travel abroad. This will not occur unnoticed. As current hotel capacity is insufficient, it is only a matter of time before the building frenzy starts. Hotel staff will have to be trained for the specific task of dealing with Chinese guests, who for the most part speak poor English. Newspaper stores will add Chinese papers to their selections, and pedestrian shopping streets will display articles catering more to Asian tastes. Chinese venture capital is finding its way to the West to build two and three star hotels to accommodate the anticipated flow of people. Chinese tourists are typically not prepared to spend much on accommodation, but rather on luxury products. There will be a surge in the number of Chinese restaurants since the Chinese are not used to, nor do they much care for, European food. The trend seen at banks is to automate transactions and close counters; moneychangers may even appear in the streets. The Chinese like big malls, and there are not enough of them. Statistics talk of 30 % of the world´s total amount of building cranes currently being employed in Beijing and Shanghai. Chinese towns are not done expanding by a long shot. This means more bulldozers to be built, which in turn will find their way onto European streets. More buses will be needed to transport all of these tourists, who prefer traveling in groups rather than individually. To a Chinese person, a restaurant is good if there are many customers. A place is worth visiting if it is loud and bustling. All in all, the streets in European cities may be unrecognizable in five to ten years. The upside of this equation spells jobs. Maybe the prospect for the European economy is not as gloomy as some analysts would have us believe.
Chinglification of Sydney Australia
There are very few places to which a person can travel without witnessing the influence of Chinese culture. Nowadays it seems that no international city is complete without the presence of a Chinatown. Sydney is no exception. Located in the heart of Sydney, just outside of Darling Harbor, Chinatown presents a Chinese oasis with its unique architecture, oriental archways, Chinese restaurants, and lanterns lining the streets.
At first, this area of the city was mainly frequented by the local Chinese community of Sydney. However, with the popularization of Chinese culture, Chinatown is no longer an ancient Chinese secret, and thousands of non-Chinese now flock to this famous attraction on a daily basis. Visitors and locals spend the day there absorbing Chinese culture by eating authentic Chinese dishes, purchasing Asian goods, and watching traditional Chinese performances.
Last year, Sydney took the Chinatown concept one step further and began hosting the Chinatown Night Market . Every Friday evening from 6:00-11:00, an area between Dixon Street and Little Hay Street is transformed into a lively Chinese cultural hotspot. Surrounded by Chinese characters in neon lights and the tempting aromas of various Chinese cuisines, one might quickly forget he or she is in Sydney, and feel transported to a bustling night market in China. While perusing the hundred or so stalls filled with clothing, jewelry and gifts, visitors can try unique Chinese snacks from street vendors or dine outdoors at one of the local restaurants.
As a cultural enclave, Sydney’s Chinatown eclipses those of other cities. In Sydney, Chinatown and the night market reflect the positive influence the Chinese have had on the city. The Australian capital has found a way to combine East and West, and in so doing, represents the chinglification process occurring around the world.
Wanted: Chinglification of Hotels
Not so long ago, Chinese citizens wishing to travel outside the country had to go through a long and complicated visa application process, which included filling out reams of paperwork, presenting a letter of invitation from the host country, and undergoing an interview. It was a long and arduous process, and even after completing it, one couldn’t be sure of getting a visa. In 2004, China made a conscious decision to provide more opportunities for its citizens to travel abroad, by relaxing its tourism policy. This change in policy has resulted in an unprecedented growth in the Chinese outbound travel market.
The first major change has been the creation of an “Approved Destination Status” (ADS) policy. Residents who wish to travel to ADS countries face a simplified visa process when working with government-sanctioned tour operators. Additionally, China has recently made an aggressive move to expand the number of ADS countries. In September 2004, China made the single largest expansion to the ADS list by granting 27 European countries ADS status.
According to China National Travel Association statistics, the sum total of the relaxed policy has been an outbound travel increase of 180%, from 10 million in 2000 to 29 million in 2004. Outbound tourism is expected to keep booming for the next decade. The World Trade Organization estimates that 100 million Chinese will go abroad annually by the year 2020, making it the 4th largest outbound market in the world. All these statistics add up to the need for ADS countries to educate their people to prepare for a huge influx of Chinese tourists over the next several years. A good place to begin preparations is in the hotel industry.
According to the Associated Press, Chinese visitors don’t seem to be satisfied with the level of attention hotels give to their Chinese customers, and feel that hotels do no not cater to their particular needs. The number one complaint is the lack of readily available hot water. Chinese traditionally do not drink ice water but instead prefer drinking wen kai shui (lukewarm water). In fact, most families in China either have a large electric thermos that automatically heats the water or a good old fashioned tea kettle. The prevailing wisdom of Chinese medicine is that drinking warm water allows the body to maintain a normal body temperature and is therefore healthier. This is a generally accepted medical fact all across China. Moreover, Chinese use hot water for a variety of other things, such as making instant noodles and tea.
This shows the need for western establishments to provide Chinese tea, rather than just coffee, in the room. And while they are at it, a few packages of instant noodles would be a good idea. If a hotel really wants to do it right, they can take things one step further and find out what other beverages and snacks are generally popular with their Chinese guests and provide them as well. The ‘to do’ list for hotels doesn’t end there.
A western lodging establishment will need be aware of an extremely important Chinese fashion item, slippers. A hotel not providing bedroom slippers is definitely making a serious fashion faux pas. In China, wearing slippers around the house is habitual and almost every home is equipped with many pairs to accommodate family, friends and guests. Hotels would be wise to do the same.
Over the next few years, these ADS countries are going to see a lot of guests from China in their hotels. It just makes good sense to take an added measure of customer care to accommodate their needs. These special amenities are very few and inexpensive. However, chinglifying the surroundings can go a long way in ensuring guest satisfaction.