Scottish tour firm takes Chinese travelers off the beaten track

Ctrip link-up opens up whole new tourist market

From the rugged mountains of the Highlands to the windswept islands of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland’s natural beauty is both impressive and challenging for travelers to access.

But a new partnership between Scottish tour company Rabbie’s Small Group Tours and Shanghai-based travel agency Ctrip will help take Chinese visitors off the beaten track in Scotland, to see what the country has to offer outside of its major cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

“There are so many little gems around,” said Rabbie’s founder Robin Worsnop. “Not many Chinese people go to Glencoe, but when they get there, they are blown away by it. Just travelling along the west coast and seeing the variety in the scenery or getting on a little ferry or going over to the Isle of Skye. All the wildlife that will suddenly appear, the changeable weather - all these things make for an unforgettable experience.”

Ctrip will promote Rabbie’s in China in a partnership that Worsnop estimates will be worth 20 million pounds ($28.68 million) over 10 years. Rabbie’s has employed two representatives in China and has hired two Mandarin-speaking tour guides to lead groups of up to 16 visitors on tours of Scotland lasting from three to 30 days, as well as the rest of the UK and Ireland.

“The guides are amazing storytellers,” Worsnop said. “They introduce people to the culture, the history and the geology, and some of the folklore of the places they are visiting. We like to get people off the beaten track and out of the vehicle as much as possible and go to the places that the bigger coaches can’t go.”

The number of Chinese visitors to Scotland increased by 192 percent between 2007 and 2016. That growth is expected to continue with new direct flights between Beijing and Edinburgh starting this June with Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines.

Worsnop said that currently 7 percent of Rabbie’s customers are from China, and he expects that number to double over the next three years. He said that as the outbound Chinese tourism market has matured, there has been a shift away from large coach tours of the UK toward small private groups of travelers.

“We’re aiming at the independent Chinese traveler, who wants to meet the locals, and get up close with the country they are visiting,” Worsnop said.

Ctrip is one of China’s largest tourism companies and the company already has a presence in Scotland, having acquired Edinburgh-based online travel agency Skyscanner in 2016 for $1.74 billion.

On a recent visit to Shanghai, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the new partnership will help Chinese visitors gain a richer understanding of Scotland.

"This new partnership between Ctrip and Rabbie’s will support more Chinese tourists to come to Scotland and create more opportunities to experience our unique combination of history, stunning scenery and world-class culture,” Sturgeon said.