Blue-sky thinking can significantly improve the fortunes of tourism

Travel | Zhang Chunyan

A lot of business will benefit when tourism is thriving. Clean air, niche products and integration advantages are the important improvements that China need to make to attract more inbound tourists.

In recent years, high-spending Chinese visitors have generated a windfall for many countries as the nation becomes the world's largest outbound tourism market.

At the World Travel Market in early November, travel organizations and agents from around the world said they wanted to lure more Chinese visitors.

All tourism-related businesses, such as retailers, restaurants and hotels, are excited about the prospect of increased Chinese tourist inflows that will help their countries' economies recover.

But things are very different for China's inbound tourism market, which is struggling amid rising concern about issues such as air pollution.

According to a report by the China Tourism Academy in October, the number of inbound tourists reached 129.08 million in 2013, down 2.5 percent year-on-year.

About 75 percent of inbound tourists were satisfied with their visits in 2013, down more than 11 percentage points from the previous year. Some overseas tourists expressed dissatisfaction with the air quality and barrier-free facilities for the disabled, among other issues.

The gap between inbound tourism revenue and the generous spending by Chinese shoppers abroad is huge.

To attract more foreign visitors, the first thing that China needs to do is deal with air pollution. Major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are often under a cloud of heavy smog. Chinese and foreign visitors alike complain and worry about it.

Photos of runners in a recent Beijing marathon wearing masks are widely available online.

While it is difficult to clear the air quickly, the government, companies and individuals should do what they can to reduce pollution and bring back the blue sky.

As China seeks quality over quantity in economic growth, concrete action is needed, and more green energy and clean technology must be used.

Further, new and niche travel products should be offered to overseas visitors to highlight China's attractions.

Competition for the tourist dollar is fierce in Asia. Many countries have invested heavily in promoting and upgrading their travel "brands", with campaigns such as "Incredible India".

Thailand, Cambodia and South Korea are popular destinations for many Western visitors.

Chinese destinations and tourism organizations need to focus more on designing new, unique, signature experiences for foreigners - for example, niche products such as cuisine tourism, which focuses on traveling to famous food cities and teaching foreigners to cook Chinese food.

Additionally, combining resources can make travel more attractive.

For short visits, 72-hour visas are now available for 11 Chinese cities, ranging from Shenyang to Kunming. Travel organizations can use this policy and cooperate with neighboring countries to plan regional tourism packages.

With many countries receiving Chinese visitors having simplified their visa requirements, China's authorities can make visas easier to get over the coming years.

What is more, foreign travel media, travel websites and even social media can be used to promote China's tourism.

Contact the writer at zhangchunyan@chinadaily.com.cn