A NINE-DAY mission has begun to capitalise on one of the world's most lucrative tourism market and is targetting millennials as a "driving force of growth".
Chinese visitor numbers to the UK are expected to rise by almost half, from 260,000 to 384,000, over the next five years, VisitBritain predicts while Scotland currently accounts for almost a fifth (17 per cent) of all Chinese visitors to the UK.
VisitScotland says the rise in visitors from China to Scotland and the UK is expected to be driven by the young adult traveller, saying "millennials are seen as a growing target market".
Research shows that the average age of Chinese visitors to the UK is younger than the average age of all inbound travellers. In 2016, half of Chinese visitors to the UK were aged between 25 and 44 and market researchers Phocuswright, estimates that 60% of international Chinese travellers are aged 18-34 years.
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness are known to be the favourite locations in Scotland to visit for Chinese travellers.
In Scotland visitor numbers have been boosted by the popularity of whisky, which has resulted in a surge of visits to Scottish distilleries.
In September, it emerged that the number of visitors to Scotland's whisky distilleries reached an all-time high of 1.7 million in 2016, an increase of eight per cent on the previous year, and the Scotch Whisky Association recognises that Chinese visitors played a part in this increase.
Chinese visitor numbers to Diageo-owned distilleries in Scotland rose by 154 per cent last year.
VisitScotland says China’s growing wealth, the growth in travel to Europe and the UK, as well as Scotland’s appeal on the back of Scottish locations being used for Harry Potter movies and, most recently, Outlander, has seen tourism from the country to Scotland "grow steadily over the past decade".
Scotland's national tourism organisation say air links with China have also been enhanced in recent years by airlines such as Qatar, Etihad and Emirates providing one-stop connections between China and Scotland via the Middle East, and Turkish Airlines and Finnair also competing with British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa for a share of the market.
VisitScotland has now embarked on a nine-day Chinese development mission joined by 11 Scottish businesses, which will involve a "comprehensive programme of tailored meetings" with major Chinese tour operators and Scotland training for their sales teams.
“China is a hugely important emerging international market and this mission will provide our partners an excellent platform to speak directly to the top travel professionals in some of the country’s most valuable outbound regions.
“It seems fitting that this mission coincides with the programme launch of Scotland’s Year of Young People, as Chinese millennials are seen as a growing market for the future of international tourism.”
Rosemary Gallagher of the Scottish Whisky Association said: “Scotch Whisky is a big attraction to overseas visitors coming to Scotland. Last year a record 1.7 million visits were made to distilleries. Visitors from China would have contributed to this number as Scotch is highly regarded and growing in popularity in that market. In the first six months of this year, Scotch exports to China were up 45% to £27m and many consumers will want to see where their favourite whisky is made.”
The VisitScotland mission, which is also supported by Scottish Development International, will visit Shanghai - which accounts for 17 per cent of outbound travellers from China - Chongqing in the south west and Guangzhou.
Following the mission, VisitScotland will take part in Destination Britain China, a three-day tourism showcase organised by VisitBritain in Guangzhou, which provides a platform for British destinations, products and suppliers.
Last year a conference organised by the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group discussed how Scotland could tap into what is one of the world's most lucrative tourism markets.
Edinburgh is the second most popular destination for Chinese visitors to the UK, after London.
The Chinese tourism market was estimated to have grown five-fold in the last 10 years, and the conference examined how the industry can grow further and develop its China-friendly reputation.
Last year, as part of its China Ready initiative, the Edinburgh launched Scotland’s first-ever destination campaign on influential Chinese social media sites Weibo and WeChat, funded by the VisitScotland Growth Fund.
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