The world is their oyster

With about 9 percent of Europe's annual GDP reliant on tourism, and inter-EU travel flagging from some of the countries struggling economically, the stakes are high. So what can Europe do to win a bigger share of the world's largest and most lucrative outbound tourist demographic?

Valeria Croce, research and development manager for the European Travel Commission, says much of Europe needs to change the way it does tourism if it wants to capture the Chinese dollar.

About 80 percent of Europe's tourism market is now geared to serve European travelers. Russian and US tourists occupy the next highest rungs on the ladder. China, which at the moment accounts for just 2 percent of the guest mix, is often an afterthought.

"The vast majority (of tourism operators) mainly serve Europe, and they are not prepared for the Chinese customer," Croce says. "We really need to educate them to deal with this diversity."

At a policy level, Croce says, complicated visa requirements are costing EU countries Chinese tourism dollars, and a recent decision by the US to introduce 10-year biometric visas means the disadvantage will be heightened.

While the commission is lobbying for visa reform, Croce says, in the meantime, luring Chinese travelers and attracting them back for multiple visits could be as simple as tourism operators understanding them better.

"The basics are the easiest things to fix," she says. "Having a boiler (kettle) in the room with some tea on offer is not mainstream in Europe. Having some staff who can speak even some basic Chinese helps."

According to the 2014 China International Monitor Survey, 85 percent of Chinese travelers rank language-related products and services, such as Mandarin-speaking staff and translator-guides, as the most important amenities they look for in a hotel.

Beyond the basics, Croce says, the commission's research has shown Europe needs to be more aware that what appeals to Western tourists may not resonate with Chinese.

"For them, visiting the Mercedes museum is the same as visiting the Louvre, maybe more so, because it's the brand that matters. Germany is very attractive, especially eastern Germany and the birthplace of Karl Marx. It's an absolute must for Chinese. There is this heritage or Communist past in some European countries that is very attractive to Chinese."

Gong says the ancient tie-in with Chinese culture is one of the reasons she loves visiting Japan. But while there are sites in Europe with historical and cultural significance that resonate with Chinese, she found them difficult to find and rarely advertised.

Zheng Rui has traveled extensively throughout Europe. The 31-year-old IT worker loves visiting, but says there are a few things that do make travel there difficult at times.

The big problem he frequently encounters is paying his way. Currently, China's only clearance center is UnionPay, the country's equivalent of Visa or MasterCard. Zheng and Gong both say coverage in Europe can still be patchy, particularly in restaurants and smaller stores.

"When I first started traveling 13 or 15 years ago I had to use cash, mostly," Zheng says. "Even now UnionPay is still not that convenient in Europe. Even in the most popular destinations there are still problems. I recently visited Budapest and almost all the restaurants had problems taking UnionPay. Even when they did accept it, sometimes when I showed the card to the waiter they said they wanted cash."

Facilitating easy payment for Chinese shoppers is in Europe's best interests.

According to the China Tourism Academy, in 2013 shopping was the biggest area of expenditure for Chinese tourists abroad and accounted for more than 50 percent of the average travelers' total spend on holidays, up from about 33 percent in 2012.

James Wu, general manager of luxury travel agency UULUX, agrees shopping is a major focus for Chinese travelers.

"Chinese people usually spend one to two days shopping in both long (10-15 days) and short (3-5 days) trips. They always go on a shopping spree as long as they believe that the products are cheaper than in China."

Croce says Europe already attracts big money from the "highest segment" of China's outbound tourist market.

"The Chinese market is as diverse as any other market, but generalizing, I would say they want shopping, shopping and more shopping," she says. "The wealthy ones will undertake a trip to Europe just to shop for major brands. A Louis Vuitton bag is a souvenir."

Zheng says he and his wife always set aside dedicated shopping time in Europe.

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