Finding the Right Way To Say ‘Ni Hao’

Imagine a river. It runs pleasantly through fields that rely on it for irrigation. It quenches the thirst of people who could always use more water.

Now, imagine that river is about to be flooded with rain, a sea of rain. Will the locals catch that water and contain it? Or will they be overwhelmed?

That’s a pretty good image of what the tourism market faces in the coming years from the Chinese traveler.

In 2013, 98 million Chinese ventured forth from the borders of the Middle Kingdom and predictions were for that number to double by 2020. But it turns out our predictions may have been off.

Last month, I joined a gathering of travel industry leaders in China for the World Travel and Tourism Council global summit. At the summit, the country’s Vice-Premier said the growth of the Chinese middle class in the coming decade will fuel a surge of 500 million outbound travelers.

You read that right: 500 million.

That will translate into tremendous opportunity for people to explore, experience and see the world. It will also translate into new demand in our industry.

In the U.S. alone, which is only a small segment of the Chinese outbound travel market, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that last year 1.8 million Chinese visited and spent a total of $8.8 billion.

We know that for every 35 overseas visitors we create one new job in the travel industry, so from a jobs angle, the surge will be very good news. The river overfloweth. Tourism already supports 266 million jobs worldwide and this new demand will create opportunities across the board. We’ll need more waiters, housekeepers, front desk clerks, and concierges. We’ll need more vendors and outside suppliers. We’ll need more cultural and language experts.

That said, the rate of job growth will have much to do with where these travelers choose to explore. Only about 4 percent of the Chinese outbound travelers landed in the U.S. in 2012, which suggests we can do a better job of welcoming our Chinese friends.

At the same time, we need to be thoughtful about our welcome. If we're too successful without being thoughtful, certain popular destinations and transit systems may become deluged during peak Chinese travel periods. (Look no further than China’s own infrastructure problems accommodating internal travelers during the Chinese New Year, when every family hits the road to visit relatives and take a vacation.)

In order to benefit economically and protect our best assets, we’ll need to think seriously about smart growth for the industry. We'll need to recognize the challenges ahead.

Will our airports and customs officers be able to handle this flood of visitors? Will our trains inspire visitors or be a cause of embarrassment? How can we invest in a nationwide transit system that can safely and efficiently serve tourists interested in seeing an authentic rodeo in Texas, snapping a picture in front of the Hollywood sign and tasting a true New York slice of pizza? How can we streamline our visa process so travelers are enticed and welcomed to America without undue bureaucracy? How can we make sure that we’re conserving our resources while serving significantly more guests?

I don’t have all the answers. I might not even have all the questions. But, we won’t begin to be prepared in time if we don’t start asking the right questions now and pooling our resources to find the right solutions.

What are your thoughts about this new opportunity? What do we need to do to be competitive -- and sustainable?

Photo: ThinkStock
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