Tourists flock to the UK for Chinese New Year
According to VisitBritain, the number of flight bookings from China to the UK has risen 81 per cent in January 2017 compared to the same period last year.
Bookings are also up 43 per cent on the period between January – March 2016.
Chinese interest in the UK hospitality market has surged in the last decade, with the number of tourists visiting London rising 112 per cent since 2009.
The country moved in to the UK's top ten inbound markets in 2015, and VisitBritain is aiming to double the amount tourists from China spend in the UK to £1bn by 2020
VisitBritain director Patricia Yates said: “Britain is offering great value for Chinese visitors right now. This is traditionally one of the busiest travel times for Chinese travellers and we want Britain to be top of their list as a must-go now destination.”
Hospitality drive
The UK has seen a surge in investment from Chinese companies in the last few years as the country’s outbound economy grows.
Kew Green Hotels, which manages sites including The Grand in Brighton, is set to expand in the UK after its sale to Chinese firm HK CTS Metropark Hotels in 2015.
The Plough at Cadsden pub, made famous when then Prime Minister David Cameron and the president of China XI Jinping visited it in 2015, was also bought by a Chinese company last year with the aim of transforming it in to a national brand.
