The GREAT China Welcome Charter

Image courtesy of Visit Britain

I was surprised to see so few hotels and holiday resorts registered on Visit Britain's Great China Welcome Charter, particularly as there is currently no charge for joining the initiative. The Charter was created to provide easier access to the rapidly-growing Chinese market,

Costs and benefits

Signing the Charter costs nothing and the benefits could add significant demand. Hotels can use the GREAT China Welcome chartermark in their own marketing as well as receiving regular updates about the Chinese market and upcoming opportunities.

Image courtesy of Visit Britain

The GREAT China Welcome Charter can help Chinese visitors easily identify hotels, attractions and resorts that are adapting to be ‘China-ready’ by providing information in Mandarin or Cantonese and helping them adapt their hotel for the Chinese market and culture.

Members of the charter are given priority access to opportunities to reach the market and connect with Chinese customers, it’s a partnership between VisitBritain and British tourism businesses who are willing to provide additional service to Chinese travellers. 

How to become a member

There is no formal assessment businesses simply have to provide firm evidence that they already provide just one or more of the following:

• A product or a service that is of genuine interest to potential Chinese visitors and meets their distinct cultural needs and expectations
• First-hand experience of welcoming Chinese visitors within the past two years
• Mandarin or Cantonese speaking staff
• Translated websites, apps or literature
• Visitor information or signage in Mandarin or Cantonese
• Visitor-facing staff who have undergone training about Chinese culture and etiquette
• Facilities for customers to pay using China UnionPay
• Some form of formal collaboration with a peer organisation in China
• Businesses can be privately or publicly owned and there is no minimum size

Note that all applications for the Charter are subject to review by VisitBritain’s China-UK business development team.

Your commitment

Businesses who sign up to the GREAT China Welcome Charter effectively agree to:

• Offer products and services that provide a world-leading welcome to Chinese visitors
• Tell their staff about the Charter and ensure they are familiar with Chinese culture and etiquette
• Keep up-to-date with major trends in the Chinese outbound tourism market and evolve products & services accordingly
• Share with VisitBritain any key insights gained from working with the Chinese market that might be beneficial to other British companies targeting the market
• Co-operate with other Charter members on any future initiatives that might help make Britain the most welcoming European destination for Chinese visitors

How to sign up

Simply fill in the online registration form; and VisitBritain’s China-UK business development team.