Cuisine is the third most important option Chinese travelers
Food is a very important consideration for Chinese travelers. Cuisine is the third most important option Chinese travelers consider after safety and presence of historical sites. Fourth most important thin is shopping.
Availability of food amenable to the Chinese palate is a top concern for Chinese business and leisure travelers.
The destinations that have an advantage in attracting Chinese travelers for the food tend to be the ones that are known for items that have parallels in Chinese cuisine. Seafood and fresh fruit are draw for Chinese tourists.
Over 100 million Chinese travelers going abroad every year now. That number will potentially be reaching 200 million by 2020. Addressing Chinese drinking and eating preferences is of great importance to those hoping to welcome them.
One simple example. is boiled water. Most Chinese don’t drink cold drinks, and carry bottles of hot water as their beverage of choice. Kettles for boiling water or making tea are provided in almost every hotel room in China and on Chinese airlines. Availability of hot water also allows quick preparation of instant noodles.
Hilton Hotels and Resorts is one company that looks to serve the market in this way, with its “Hilton Huanying” (haunying-Mandarin for “welcome“) program. It includes kettles, Chinese tea, and slippers to make Chinese travelers more at home.
They really only love Chinese food. Such requirements add $60-$70 per person per day to the cost of their trips. “Very picky,” is how one travel operator described her compatriots and their food requirements.
