GE : The notable difference , in this case , is the speed at which business occurs . Tour operators from China are eager to develop new programs and get them to marketplace before their competitors . A process that could take months working with a domestic-focused operator might take mere weeks with an operator from China . Relationships and quanxi are even more important with Chinese operators , as transactions evolve so rapidly that clients must trust you and your company in order to bring product to the marketplace and sate the appetite of travelhungry consumers in a timely way .
RK : For openers , there is no language barrier when dealing with North American tour operators , and the distances to reach North American tour operators are not as great as going to China . Meetings with Chinese operators are much more formal , and the relationship building takes longer , but once established , it is a bond that is to be nurtured and valued highly . To lose that relationship is to lose face in China .
“ With the growth projections for China , it made sense to begin to cultivate the China market to be on the ground floor of a rapidly growing source of overseas visitors .”
Can you talk about specific changes your museum has made to welcome Chinese travelers ? SB : We have offered yearly training programs to the tour guides for our top clients , so they can give an informed , efficient tour . We have welcome gifts for these new tour guides , and training materials that they can read and refer to . Free Wi-Fi is important , and we offer it throughout the museum . Charging stations for devices have been added in all the public spaces as well , and those are appreciated .
— Ron Kuhlman , Virginia Beach CVB
CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS
Corning Museum of Glass
As a destination , what steps have you taken to educate local suppliers about the China inbound market ? GE : Travel Oregon has hosted China Ready and Beyond programs for local partners around the state . These trainings have been hosted by individual businesses and communities and at statewide conferences like the Oregon Governor ’ s Conference on Tourism . Travel Oregon has partnered with BRIC Marketing to host China Ready and Beyond seminars . The content of these programs includes some cultural training for tourism industry partners ... [ and ] information about best practices for approaching the market via social media as well as working with tour operators and OTAs .
RK : We have held seminars about acting globally for our hospitality industry and especially the hotels . The importance of being China-ready — such as having slippers available for Chinese guests in the room , the availability of hot water and tea in the rooms — is stressed , and we make available Chinese translation services for our hospitality industry , from important information in hotels to translated rack cards in museums . When we know a Chinese group is booked in town , we approach the group ’ s hotel to go over the finer points of what the expectations will be .
What is something you learned through this process that you wish you ’ d known in the beginning ? SB : When I started working at CMoG , I was intimidated by the Chinese market . I was worried about the language barriers and how I would get to know these important clients . I had heard that it can be a challenging market to work with and that it is low-rated business not worth pursuing . I am happy to report all these concerns were minor , and instead I now have tour operators and Chinese market influencers I consider dear friends , young staff in the Chinese tour operator offices who call me “ Mom ” and a Mandarin vocabulary that increases by a few words every year ! I encourage everyone to move past their fears and jump into this market .
GE : I wish I could have anticipated the rapid evolution of this market and how it will further evolve over the next decade . Five years ago , Travel Oregon worked with Alamo Rental Car to develop a 15-page brochure that featured 12 self-driving itineraries throughout Oregon and parts of the West Coast . At the time , this seemed premature ; but three years later , this became key content as tour operators and media began ( continued on p . 60 )
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