PATA President and Ceo Peter de Jong has identified significant challenges for tour operators with regard to sustained Chinese outbound tourism recently. Speaking on the opening keynote panel of the 42nd International Hotel & Restaurant

Association (IH&RA) Annual Congress last week in Beijing, de Jong warned of potential long-term damage by greedy tour guides who lead Chinese tourists from one shop to another in pursuit of commissions. ‘Any attempt to treat Chinese tourists as low quality tourists should be stamped out,’ he said.
He added that those tour companies wishing to focus on working with Chinese should make marketing a priority: ‘By focusing on only half the regions of China, you already reach more than 90% of the urban households that have middle-class incomes,’ he said. ‘It took eight years for the GDP per capita figures to double from $500 to $1,000, but it will only take four years to double again to more than $2,000.’