Chinese Visitors Has More Than Doubled in London Lately

As per latest data, there has been a 31-percent increase in tour operator holiday bookings this year to London from China. Tourism officials in London said that the number of Chinese visitors in the past five years has more than doubled, with 165,000 Chinese people heading to the British capital last year.

Spending has also gone up thanks to Chinese visitors getting more Sterling for their Yuan. Latest figures showed that between January and March 2017, London’s luxury quarter saw a 39-percent increase in tax-free shopping for designer handbags, clothes and jewellery by Chinese tourists, compared to the same period in 2016.

London is also much welcoming to the Chinese now. There are also more Mandarin-speaking and Cantonese-speaking guides to keep up with growing demand.

Heng Chen, a Mandarin-speaking London Blue Badge guide, said: “Most of the Chinese people coming to the UK are first-time visitors, and they are quite curious about many things. The Mandarin train announcements at Marylebone station have been warmly received. There are also a significantly increasing number of Mandarin-speaking trained shop assistants in many places, which is another welcoming sign. The next step might be more Chinese signs in public places.”

Many of London’s museums and galleries now offer interpreters and specialist tours in Mandarin and Cantonese. At the British Museum, 50 percent of audio guide sales are now in Mandarin.