British Airways offering bespoke experiences

British Airways has vowed to come up with more bespoke services for Chinese customers, as it pushes for growth in what is now the world's largest outbound tourism market.

"We are committed to making our service relevant and relatable to Chinese customers and we are constantly investing to make our product and service more appealing to them," said Noella Ferns, British Airways' executive vice-president for China and the Philippines.

"With that in mind, we improved our catering for both Western and Chinese options, introduced a Chinese-language in-flight magazine and increased the number of Mandarin-speaking customer service representatives at London Heathrow Terminal 5, demonstrating our commitment and ability in offering bespoke services for Chinese customers."

BA is currently investing ￡4.5 billion ($5.84 billion) over the next five years, covering the installation of Wi-Fi and power ports, fitting out 128 long-haul aircraft with new interiors, taking delivery of 72 new aircraft and expanding with new lounges.

"We look forward to introducing all these exciting developments to travelers from China," she said.

The airline showcased large-size models of a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9 and Airbus A380 at the aircraft display area during the recent China International Import Expo in Shanghai, while the British Airways Pavilion looked to replicate its lounges, giving guests a feel for its service offerings.

According to Ferns, CIIE is a key way for China to proactively open its market to the rest of the world.

"There is no doubt that this first-ever expo will benefit British Airways and we are proud to be one of the enablers to expand cooperation for the global economy, trade and culture," she said.

China has become the world's largest outbound tourism market with 130.5 million overseas trips made in 2017, an increase of 7 percent compared to the year before, figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism show.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Chinese tourists collectively spent $258 billion abroad in 2017－or nearly double that of the second biggest spenders, the United States, with $135 billion.

Ferns said British Airways is optimistic that the Chinese market will continue to present great opportunities for the company, and represents an integral part of the airline's global business blueprint.

"The continuous robust economic development of China has fueled up market demand on our services and British Airways has been working hard to find optimal ways to match such burgeoning demand," said Ferns.