Scotland sets out its stall to woo Chinese tourists

A digital campaign aimed at luring more Chinese tourists to Scotland has also helped boost tourist numbers.

The Edinburgh Chinese Social Media Campaign, launched in 2016 by the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, also known as ETAG, was initially created to promote the city. It was later extended to the whole of Scotland, and advertises the country as a must-visit destination through online campaigns and by posting strategic destination content.

The campaign uses the Chinese social media platforms Sina Weibo and WeChat to deliver tips, itineraries and promotions in Mandarin from the city's most popular tourism businesses. It recommends key points of interest for Chinese travelers, such as history, architecture, film locations and shopping.

While Scotland is promoting itself as an attractive destination for Chinese visitors, it is also making increasing efforts to ensure tourism businesses understand these visitors' requirements.

The China Ready Initiative, launched by ETAG in 2015, has seen more than 300 businesses, including key attractions, hotels, festivals and retailers around Edinburgh and across Scotland, engage with cultural awareness workshops, guides and meetings aimed at increasing Chinese visitor numbers and developing the country's position as a China-friendly destination.

Rob Lang, who chairs the initiative, said it has helped put local businesses in a much stronger position to understand and benefit from the growing inbound Chinese market, and as a result, an increasing number of Scottish businesses are willing to tap this trade.

The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh is one of the businesses that has benefited from the initiative.

Melissa Raffaelli, the hotel's director of sales, visited China for the first time in March, realizing the importance of first-hand experience in familiarizing herself with Chinese tourists' requirements.

"From being out in China myself and asking people what is important to the customer ... what is a minimum requirement, one of the key things people kept saying is you need staff," Raffaelli said. She also noted a real thirst for knowledge and history from Chinese who visit Scotland.