Great China Welcome Charter
At the centre of the programme was the GREAT China Welcome Charter which helped Chinese visitors easily identify hotels, attractions, retailers and tour operators making themselves ‘China-ready’ by providing information in Mandarin or Cantonese and adapting their products for the Chinese market and culture.
Members of the charter were also given priority access to opportunities to reach the market and connect with Chinese customers. Effectively it was a partnership between VisitBritain and those British tourism businesses who were committed to providing exceptional service to Chinese travellers.
There was no charge for joining the charter.
Criteria
There was no formal assessment but businesses will required to provide firm evidence that they already provided one or more of the following:
- A product or a service that is of genuine interest to potential Chinese visitors and meets their distinct cultural needs and expectations
- First-hand experience of welcoming Chinese visitors within the past two years
- Mandarin or Cantonese speaking staff
- Simplified Chineese information for potential visitors, in the form of websites, apps or literature
- On site visitor information or signage in Mandarin or Cantonese
- Visitor-facing staff who have undergone training about Chinese culture and etiquette
- Facilities for customers to pay using China UnionPay
- Some form of formal collaboration with a peer organisation in China
- Businesses can be privately or publicly owned and there is no minimum size
All applications for the Charter are subject to review by VisitBritain’s China-UK business development team.
Commitments
Businesses who signed up to the GREAT China Welcome Charter effectively agree to:
- Continue to offer and develop products and services that provide a world-leading welcome to Chinese visitors
- Tell their staff about the Charter and ensure they are familiar with Chinese culture and etiquette
- Keep up-to-date with major trends in the Chinese outbound tourism market and evolve products & services accordingly
- Share with VisitBritain any key insights gained from working with the Chinese market that might be beneficial to other British companies targeting the market
- Co-operate with other Charter members on any future initiatives that might help make Britain the most welcoming European destination for Chinese visitors
Benefits
Signing the Charter cost nothing but the benefits were significant. As well as putting their name behind a campaign that was already gaining traction in China, businesses were able to use the GREAT China Welcome chartermark in their own collateral and receive regular updates about the Chinese market and upcoming opportunities. VisitBritain and our key partners also offered a number of exclusive benefits for Charter members, such as priority access to trade missions and networking opportunities.
We have a wealth of information on the inbound tourism market to China. Visit our China market page to find out more.
