45 / 140
tourists, who have become the largest tourist
group in the world and are known to spend large
sums of money when travelling abroad.
AsiadominatesChina’soutboundtourismmarket,
with many nearby cities in South Korea and Japan
taking top spots because the cost of travel is
considerably less than long-haul flights.
Smaller numbers of Chinese are travelling to
NorthAmerica and Europe, especially Germany,
because of their simplified visa application
process. Many countries have either abolished
visa requirements for Chinese travelers or have
put measures in place to attract Chinese tourists.
Ambassador Singh believes wooing these tourists
will become easier asAirChina is expected to begin
direct flights betweenBeijing andHavana. He also
believes that the newly establishedChinese cruise
industry has the potential to bring more visitors
to our shores.
TheCaribbeanwillhavetocompete,though,against
other destinations that are closer to China, such as
Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand and the Philippines
that, like the Caribbean, offer sun, sea and sand.
Despite this, John-Williams believes the
Caribbean can successfully tap into this market
if the region works together.
“The CARIFORUM region needs to consider a
joint approach to developing the tourism sector
specifically for Chinese tourists. The Caribbean
is a unique travel destination not just for leisure
but also for medical and business tourism. The
Chinese are very proud people; the ability to travel
and explore new markets and countries bestows
the individual with bragging rights. In a country
where the concept of ‘face’ is very important, such
bragging rights are taken seriously.”
He added that “the countries that comprise the
CARIFORUMregionofferveryuniqueexperiences
froma tourismstandpoint. Thismeans that if well
executed, Chinese tourists can go island hopping
either by cruise ship or by plane.”
The investor also shared that governments must
have the will to work together so as to establish
TRADE & EXPORT HOT SPOTS
www.carib-export.com43