QUEENSLAND – Chinese visitation to the Gold Coast increased by 15 per cent in 2009, with 106,000 Chinese tourists spending more than A$60 million in the destination.

 

Chinese visitation to Australia only increased by 2.8 per cent in the same period, which makes the Gold Coast’s results spectacular.

 

Gold Coast Tourism (GCT) this week is bringing together dozens of front-line tourism staff for a workshop on Chinese Culture and Customer Service following last week’s Chinese Culture and Business workshop attended by around 30 staff from a variety of Gold Coast businesses seeking to increase their trade relationships with Chinese business.

 

“We need to break down barriers between Gold Coast businesses and our Chinese visitors and tourism distribution partners. Our ability to raise the Gold Coast’s profile in China and attract a larger quantity and quality of Chinese tourists is as much about Gold Coast businesses being able to effectively engage the market as it is about destination brand marketing,” GCT representative in charge of China development, John Chan, said.

 

Three GCT introductory tips to starting on the right foot in Chinese business are:

 

1) Chinese people focus on building a sincere relationship before negotiating business deals. In initial meetings share information about your business, your culture and your community.

 

2) Respect China’s long history of practising business. Meetings and negotiations are much more successful when a mutual respect is displayed.

 

3) Learn to say hello in Chinese (Mandarin) properly. A warm greeting in Chinese shows your potential as a business partner and the effort you make will be very well regarded. Hello in Mandarin is ‘ni hao’.

 

Since June this year, GCT has had a local marketing manager responsible for the Greater China market in addition to a business development manager being stationed in Shanghai. The combined roles are responsible for leading promotion of the city as a leisure and business tourism destination, increasing travel trade relationships, generating new commercial partnership opportunities, and boosting the exposure and knowledge of the Gold Coast as an international destination of choice.