UK travel
agents heard, 9 March, how China’s business events market is growing faster
than any other nation, at a showcase event for the southern resort of Sanya.
MICE sector
growth in China is now running at 20%, according to the HelmsBriscoe agency.
Sanya is
a top-end resort on the southern island province of Hainan and labelled ‘the
Hawaii of China’. A delegation of the resort’s tourism leaders joined Chinese
national tourism office representatives at the Kensington close Hotel to
meet with UK travel agents interested in the region’s potential.
Currently 40% of Sanya’s tourists come from Russia, with only 2%
being Brits ready to test the white sand beaches and international standard golf
courses. A lack of direct flights from the UK is one disincentive to visit from
Britain, but there are increasing air connections via Singapore, Hong Kong and
Chinese mainland cities.
The Sanya
delegation are on a major push in Europe, having visited ITB in Berlin the
previous week.
Mr Chen Guojiang from Sanya Tourism Development Commission
welcomed guests to the London showcase and Sean O’Hara, the senior
vice-president of regional advertising for the BBC’s Europe, the Middle East
and ica section acted as an ambassador for the resort, sharing some business
travel experiences in Sanya, where he attended WTTC last year.
Adam Wu, CEO of China Business Network, gave the agents advice on
transport and visa issues. In terms of outbound from China, he said Chinese
tourists now spend over US$160bn a year abroad.
CN and Conference &
Meetings World managing editor Paul Colston and Rose Zhang of the CTS
Horizons (UK) specialist China travel agency also made presentations,
respectively, examining Sanya’s potential MICE credentials and the potential to
create multi-centre travel itineraries in the south of China.
The Miss World pageant and the Boao Forum of Asia-Pacific business
and governmental leaders are two major events in recent times to have been
hosted in Hainan.
Starwood Sanya, and the Ritz-Carlton Sanya were among the region’s
hotels offering prizes for a business card draw on the night.
Do you have news for CN? Email: Paul Colston
