Tourism Series – Ljubljana Edition: About to Take Off: The Return of Chinese Outbound Tourism | EU SME Centre: China Market Research, Training, Advice

Chinese outbound tourism to the European Union had been a growing trend until 2019. More than 11 million Chinese tourist arrivals to the EU were registered that year, a 5% increase from 2018, with France, Italy, and Germany as the most popular destinations. On average this flow involved stays longer than 10 days with an expenditure of more than €1,000.

However, this segment of the market has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a sharp decrease of Chinese outbound tourism to the EU in the past years. With the current lift off of most travel restrictions it’s expected that Chinese outbound tourism to the EU will gradually recover. To this end EU SME Centre, ICCF, and the Slovenian Chinese Business Association are organising an event that will allow EU SMEs to get an understanding of the prospects of the international travel market and preferences of Chinese travellers, as well as to fine-tune their marketing skills and strategies.

Agenda (Ljubljana Time)

10:00 – 10:10

Welcoming words

10:10 – 10:50

Module I: Situation Spring 2023

Development of Chinese tourism before and during pandemic
Opening of borders and government regulations up to March 2023
Changes in the demand and expectations of the different Chinese outbound tourism source market segments in the New Wave

Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Founder and CEO, COTRI, EU SME Centre Expert

10:50 – 11:30

Module II: How to react to the new needs and expectations when dealing with the Chinese outbound market

New quantitative and qualitative KPIs to achieve Meaningful Tourism for Chinese visitors
Product adaptation & product development
Brand building and different forms of marketing: KOLs, KOCs, Recommendation marketing
Communication and distribution channels

Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Founder and CEO, COTRI, EU SME Centre Expert

11:30 – 12:10

Module III: Outlook: China outbound market in the coming years
Ways to stay competitive in the market

Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Founder and CEO, COTRI, EU SME Centre Expert

12:10 – 12:40

Presentation by Saša Verovšek Musič, Slovenian Tourist Board Business Communication Department

12:40 – 13:00

Q&A and concluding remarks

Speakers

Wolfgang Georg Arlt

COTRI Founder and CEO

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS FRAS has for 45 years worked across the Chinese travel market. His career includes 20 years as a tenured professor of International Tourism Management and as CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), based in Hamburg. Providing training and consulting for companies and organisations worldwide, he recently added the Meaningful Tourism paradigm to the toolbox for the successful and sustainable development of tourism for Chinese and other source markets.

He is co-author of the recent publication 88 Practical Ways to Prepare for the New Wave of Chinese Visitors. China Outbound Tourism Handbook 2023, published in English, French, Italian, Spanish and German.

Saša Verovšek Musič

Slovenian Tourist Board

Saša Verovšek Musič is a Project Manager at Slovenia’s Tourist Board Business Communication Department that presents Slovenia and its tourist products and business opportunities to the world. The team plans and carries out presentations at the largest world tourism fairs, tourist workshops, organizes study trips, and other business events on European and selected distant markets.

She is a part of the team that started the promotion of Slovenia in China in 2008 Beijing Olympics and successfully carried out several promotional activities in China up to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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