LINE

    Text:AAAPrint
    Society

    Massive leap in Chinese tourists heading to more 'China friendly' London

    1
    2017-05-23 10:35Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping ECNS App Download

    Figures published Monday showed a 31-percent increase in tour operator holiday bookings this year to the British capital from China.

    Tourism officials in London said the number of Chinese visitors in the past five years has more than doubled, with 165,000 Chinese people heading to the city last year.

    Spending has also gone up thanks to Chinese visitors getting more sterling for their yuan. Latest figures showed that between January and March 2017, London's luxury quarter saw a 39-percent increase in tax-free shopping for designer handbags, clothes and jewellery by Chinese tourists, compared to the same period in 2016.

    London is also becoming more China-friendly, with train announcements in Mandarin at the city's Marylebone station.

    GuideLondon.org.uk, a professional body of London's Blue Badge tourist guides, has trained 27 more Mandarin-speaking and nine Cantonese-speaking guides to keep up with growing demand.

    Heng Chen, a Mandarin-speaking London Blue Badge guide, said: "Most of the Chinese people coming to the UK are first-time visitors, and they are quite curious about many things. The Mandarin train announcements at Marylebone station have been warmly received. There are also a significantly increasing number of Mandarin-speaking trained shop assistants in many places, which is another welcoming sign. The next step might be more Chinese signs in public places."

    Many of London's museums and galleries now offer interpreters and specialist tours in Mandarin and Cantonese. At the British Museum, 50 percent of audio guide sales are now in Mandarin.

    Chinese New Year 2018 in London will have a new digital home on www.VisitLondon.com, the city's official visitor website.

    Julie Chappell, chief digital officer at VisitLondon.com, said: "London is making sure Chinese visitors are welcome to our attractions, shops, restaurants and museums. VisitLondon.com wants to strengthen ties with the Chinese community so we are proud to be hosting the official visitor website to drive more international and Chinese tourists to the Chinatown area to experience its special events."

    The new figures were released by London and Partners, the Mayor of London's official promotional agency, with the purpose of supporting Mayor Sadiq Khan's priority to promote London internationally.

      

    Related news

    MorePhoto

    Most popular in 24h

    MoreTop news

    MoreVideo

    News
    Politics
    Business
    Society
    Culture
    Military
    Sci-tech
    Entertainment
    Sports
    Odd
    Features
    Biz
    Economy
    Travel
    Travel News
    Travel Types
    Events
    Food
    Hotel
    Bar & Club
    Architecture
    Gallery
    Photo
    CNS Photo
    Video
    Video
    Learning Chinese
    Learn About China
    Social Chinese
    Business Chinese
    Buzz Words
    Bilingual
    Resources
    ECNS Wire
    Special Coverage
    Infographics
    Voices
    LINE
    Back to top Links | About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
    Copyright ©1999-2018 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
    Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
    主站蜘蛛池模板: 襄樊市| 正阳县| 体育| 新宁县| 甘孜| 水城县| 新宾| 南城县| 乌兰浩特市| 连云港市| 普定县| 偏关县| 鲁甸县| 崇左市| 乌什县| 常熟市| 阿尔山市| 万全县| 三穗县| 阳山县| 绥中县| 灵丘县| 广河县| 定安县| 哈尔滨市| 收藏| 上林县| 容城县| 襄城县| 二手房| 禹州市| 龙陵县| 道真| 安徽省| 溆浦县| 阳西县| 乃东县| 拉萨市| 开阳县| 彝良县| 醴陵市|