Day 2: 09.00 Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. 10.00 Excursion program: Lenin Mausoleum, Alexander Garden, Red Square. Excursion to the Moscow Kremlin (territory and cathedrals). Visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Monument to Peter I. Lunch - Chinese cuisine. Excursion program: trip to the Lenin Mountains, Observation deck, building of Moscow State University(MSU), Chinese Embassy. Poklonnaya Hill - Victory Park, Government House of the Russian Federation. Excursion-trip along the Moscow metro. Walk along Old Arbat Street, purchasing souvenirs. 20.00 Dinner - Russian cuisine. Free time. Departure by train (compartment) to St. Petersburg.
3rd day: Meeting tourists at the Leningradsky railway station in Moscow. Breakfast at a Chinese restaurant. Continuation of the sightseeing tour of the city. Transfer to Domodedovo airport. Departure. (Supplement for lunch and late flight - $20 per person).
| Program | 5 + 1 | 6 + 1 | 7 + 1 | 8 + 1 | 9 + 1 | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 |
| Price | 245 | 225 | 212 | 203 | 195 | 189 | 199 | 194 | 190 | 185 | 182 | 179 |
| Program | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 |
| Price | 177 | 174 | 172 | 170 | 168 | 167 | 165 | 164 | 168 | 167 | 166 | 165 |
| Program | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 |
| Price | 164 | 163 | 162 | 161 | 160 | 160 | 159 | 158 | 157 | 156 | 155 | 154 |
Included in the price:
RECEPTION OF GROUPS OF TOURISTS FROM CHINA IN MOSCOW
PROGRAM - 4 DAYS IN MOSCOW.
1st day: Meeting at Domodedovo airport, transfer to the hotel. Accommodation at the hotel "COSMOS"***, dinner at the restaurant (Chinese cuisine). Free time, rest at the hotel. Day 2:
Stay in St. Petersburg (any number of days, see programs for St. Petersburg).
3rd day: Meeting at Leningradsky railway station in Moscow. Breakfast at a Chinese restaurant. Accommodation in the hotel "COSMOS"*** (double rooms). Visit to Red Square and Lenin's Mausoleum. Walk through the Alexander Garden. Excursion to the Kremlin (territory and cathedrals). Lunch at a city restaurant. Excursion around VDNKh. Visiting GUM and TSUM stores. Dinner - Chinese cuisine. Free time. Visit to the circus (optional for an additional fee of $25-30).
4th day:
| Program | 5 + 1 | 6 + 1 | 7 + 1 | 8 + 1 | 9 + 1 | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 |
| Price | 364 | 336 | 315 | 300 | 289 | 280 | 295 | 287 | 280 | 273 | 268 | 264 |
| Program | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 |
| Price | 260 | 256 | 253 | 250 | 247 | 244 | 243 | 240 | 247 | 245 | 244 | 242 |
| Program | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 |
| Price | 240 | 238 | 237 | 236 | 235 | 234 | 233 | 232 | 231 | 230 | 229 | 228 |
Included in the price:
RECEPTION OF GROUPS OF TOURISTS FROM CHINA IN MOSCOW, 4* HOTELS. PROGRAM - 3 DAYS IN MOSCOW.
1st day:
Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. 10.00 Excursion program: Lenin Mausoleum, Alexander Garden, Red Square. Excursion to the Moscow Kremlin (territory and cathedrals). Visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Monument to Peter I. Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Excursion program: trip to the Lenin Mountains, observation deck, building of Moscow State University (MSU), Chinese Embassy. Poklonnaya Hill - Victory Park, Government House of the Russian Federation. Excursion-trip along the Moscow metro. Walk along Old Arbat street. 20.00 Dinner - Russian cuisine. Free time. Departure by train (compartment) to St. Petersburg.
Stay in St. Petersburg (any number of days, see programs for St. Petersburg).
3rd day: Meeting with a guide at the Leningradsky railway station in Moscow. Breakfast at a Chinese restaurant. Visiting shops and purchasing souvenirs. * A boat trip along the Moscow River (for an additional fee of 500 rubles per person). Transfer to Domodedovo airport. Departure. (Supplement for lunch and late flight - $20 per person).
| Program | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 |
| Price | 235 | 228 | 223 | 218 | 214 | 213 | 210 | 207 | 205 | 203 | 200 | 199 |
| Program | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 |
| Price | 197 | 195 | 194 | 204 | 202 | 201 | 199 | 198 | 197 | 196 | 195 | 197 |
| Program | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Price | 194 | 193 | 192 | 191 | 190 | 189 | 188 | 187 | - | - | - | - |
Included in the price:
RECEPTION OF GROUPS OF TOURISTS FROM CHINA IN MOSCOW, 4* HOTELS. PROGRAM - 4 DAYS IN MOSCOW.
1st day: Meeting at Domodedovo airport, transfer to the hotel. Hotel accommodation, dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Free time, rest at the hotel. * Excursion "Night Moscow" (for an additional fee of $20-30 per person).
Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Sightseeing tour of the city: inspection of the monument to Peter I, visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Novodevichy Convent, trip to the Sparrow Hills, Moscow State University building, observation deck, Poklonnaya Hill (walk). Building of the Government of the Russian Federation, st. New Arbat. Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Tour of the Moscow metro. Walking tour on the street Old Arbat, purchasing souvenirs. 20.00 Dinner - Russian cuisine. Free time. Departure by train (compartment) to St. Petersburg.
Stay in St. Petersburg (any number of days, see programs for St. Petersburg).
3rd day: Meeting at Leningradsky railway station in Moscow. Breakfast at a Chinese restaurant. Hotel accommodation (double rooms). Visit to Red Square and Lenin's Mausoleum. Walk through the Alexander Garden. Excursion to the Kremlin (territory and cathedrals). Lunch at a city restaurant. Excursion around VDNKh. Visiting GUM and TSUM stores. Dinner - Chinese cuisine. Free time. Visit to the circus (optional for an additional fee of $25-30).
4th day: 09.00 Breakfast at the hotel. Continuation of the sightseeing tour of the city. Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Transfer to Domodedovo airport. Departure. (Supplement for lunch and late flight - $20 per person).
Cost per person in USD Supplement for single occupancy - 35 USD. e.
| Program | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 |
| Price | 353 | 343 | 335 | 328 | 322 | 321 | 316 | 312 | 308 | 305 | 302 | 299 |
| Program | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 |
| Price | 297 | 295 | 292 | 306 | 304 | 302 | 300 | 298 | 296 | 294 | 293 | 297 |
| Program | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Price | 292 | 290 | 289 | 288 | 287 | 286 | 285 | 283 | - | - | - | - |
Included in the price:
RECEPTION OF GROUPS OF TOURISTS FROM CHINA
"MOSCOW - GOLDEN RING - MOSCOW" 6 days/5 nights.
1st day: Meeting at the airport, dinner at a restaurant (Chinese cuisine). Hotel accommodation. Free time. Rest at the hotel. Day 2:
3rd day: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Sightseeing tour of Yaroslavl with a visit to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. Museum "Music and Time". Lunch at a city restaurant. Excursion to Tolga Women's active monastery. Return to Yaroslavl. Dinner.
4th day:
Day 5: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Sightseeing tour of Suzdal with a visit to the Spaso-Efimiev Monastery, the Suzdal Kremlin, the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Dinner. Departure to Vladimir (30 km). City tour with a visit to the Assumption Cathedral and inspection of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral. Crystal Museum. Departure to Moscow (180 km). Hotel accommodation. Dinner.
Day 6:
| Program | 5 + 1 | 6 + 1 | 7 + 1 | 8 + 1 | 9 + 1 | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 |
| Price | 850/no | 733/no | 717/no | 675/no | 645/615 | 618/590 | 596/570 | 578/552 | 563/537 | 550/525 | 540/514 | 581/556 |
| Program | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 |
| Price | 570/545 | 560/535 | 550/525 | 543/517 | 535/510 | 528/503 | 522/497 | 515/491 | 510/486 | 506/482 | 502/477 | 497/473 |
| Program | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 |
| Price | 493/470 | 490/465 | 486/462 | 483/459 | 480/456 | 477/453 | 475/451 | 472/448 | 470/446 | 467/444 | 465/442 | 463/440 |
Included in the price:
RECEPTION OF GROUPS OF TOURISTS FROM CHINA
"MOSCOW - GOLDEN RING-MOSCOW" 7 days/6 nights.
1st day: Meeting at Domodedovo airport, dinner at a restaurant (Chinese cuisine). Hotel accommodation. Free time. Rest at the hotel. Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Departure to Sergiev Posad (70 km). Excursion to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra with a visit to the cathedrals. Lunch at a city restaurant. Departure to Rostov the Great (130 km). Sightseeing tour of the city with inspection Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. Excursion to the Rostov Kremlin with a visit to the Historical and Art Museum. Departure to Yaroslavl (80 km). Accommodation in the hotel "Yubileinaya"*** or "Kotorosl"***. Dinner at the restaurant.
3rd day: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Sightseeing tour of Yaroslavl with a visit to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. Museum "Music and Time". Lunch at a city restaurant. Excursion to the active Tolga convent. Dinner.
4th day: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Departure to Kostroma (70 km). Sightseeing tour of the city with a visit to the Ipatiev Monastery. Dinner. Departure to Suzdal (120 km). Accommodation in the hotel "Suzdal-Tourist Center"***. Dinner.
Day 5: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Sightseeing tour of Suzdal with a visit to the Spaso-Efimiev Monastery, the Suzdal Kremlin, the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Dinner. Pokrovsky Monastery. Free time. Dinner.
Day 6: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Departure to Vladimir (30 km). City tour with a visit to the Assumption Cathedral and inspection of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral. Crystal Museum. Lunch at a city restaurant. Departure to Moscow (180 km). Hotel accommodation. Dinner.
Day 7: Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Sightseeing tour of the city, Red Square, Kremlin (territory and cathedrals). Airport transfer. Departure. (Supplement for lunch and late flight - $20 per person).
Cost per person in USD Space/Izmailovo
| Program | 5 + 1 | 6 + 1 | 7 + 1 | 8 + 1 | 9 + 1 | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 |
| Price | 996/no | 903/no | 836/no | 786/no | 748/734 | 716/703 | 692/678 | 670/657 | 652/640 | 636/624 | 624/610 | 674/661 |
| Program | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 |
| Price | 660/647 | 648/635 | 636/624 | 626/614 | 618/605 | 609/597 | 602/589 | 595/582 | 588/576 | 583/570 | 577/565 | 573/560 |
| Program | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 |
| Price | 568/556 | 564/552 | 560/547 | 555/543 | 552/540 | 548/537 | 545/534 | 542/530 | 540/528 | 536/525 | 534/523 | 532/520 |
Included in the price:
TOUR PROGRAM 2 DAYS/1 NIGHT
1 day
Day 2 Breakfast at the hotel ( Buffet). Release of rooms. Excursion to Peterhof. Visit to one of the Small Imperial Palaces (Saturday, Sunday). Excursion around the Upper and Lower Park, fountains. Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Continuation of the excursion to the PPK (territory). Dinner at a Chinese restaurant. At 22.00 transfer to the station. Departure for Moscow.
| Group | 5 + 1 | 6 + 1 | 7 + 1 | 8 + 1 | 9 + 1 | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 |
| Price | 239 | 215 | 200 | 194 | 191 | 186 | 180 | 178 | 176 | 175 | 172 | 170 |
| Group | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 |
| Price | 169 | 168 | 166 | 164 | 162 | 161 | 159 | 158 | 156 | 155 | 154 | 153 |
| Group | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 |
| Price | 152 | 151 | 150 | 149 | 148 | 147 | 146 | 146 | 145 | 145 | 144 | 144 |
The tour price includes:
Additional excursion sites:
"Economy tour" to St. Petersburg for groups of tourists from China.
TOUR PROGRAM 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS
1 day Meeting at the station. Breakfast at a Chinese restaurant. Hotel accommodation (in summer, staff rooms). Sightseeing tour with a visit to the cruiser "Aurora", Kazan Cathedral, Senate Square, St. Isaac's Square, arrow V.O., Summer Garden. Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Excursion to the Hermitage. Dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Return to the hotel.
Day 2 Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Release of rooms. Excursion to Peterhof. Visit to one of the Small Imperial Palaces (Saturday, Sunday). Excursion around the Upper and Lower Park. Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Continuation of the excursion to the PPK (territory). Dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
Day 3 Breakfast at the hotel (buffet). Release of rooms. Departure for Tsarskoe Selo, excursion around the park. Excursion around the Catherine Park with a visit to the “Agate Rooms” and the Cameron Gallery or the Great Catherine Palace with the Amber Room (additional charge - $18). Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Return to St. Petersburg. Continuation of the sightseeing tour. Dinner at a Chinese restaurant. At 22.00 transfer to the station. Departure for Moscow.
Cost per person in US dollars
| Group | 5 + 1 | 6 + 1 | 7 + 1 | 8 + 1 | 9 + 1 | 10 + 1 | 11 + 1 | 12 + 1 | 13 + 1 | 14 + 1 | 15 + 1 | 16 + 1 |
| Price | 331 | 292 | 269 | 262 | 256 | 252 | 241 | 237 | 235 | 234 | 229 | 227 |
| Group | 17 + 1 | 18 + 1 | 19 + 1 | 20 + 1 | 21 + 1 | 22 + 1 | 23 + 1 | 24 + 1 | 25 + 1 | 26 + 1 | 27 + 1 | 28 + 1 |
| Price | 226 | 225 | 221 | 218 | 216 | 214 | 212 | 210 | 208 | 207 | 205 | 204 |
| Group | 29 + 1 | 30 + 1 | 31 + 1 | 32 + 1 | 33 + 1 | 34 + 1 | 35 + 1 | 36 + 1 | 37 + 1 | 38 + 1 | 39 + 1 | 40 + 1 |
| Price | 202 | 201 | 200 | 199 | 198 | 197 | 196 | 195 | 193 | 193 | 192 | 192 |
The tour price includes:
Smokers asked, experts answered
Just like Chinese New Year On the “Smoking Room” forum of the TourDom.ru portal, in the “Help Out” section, a thread appeared with almost 40 posts about how to start making money by hosting tourists from China.
“Maybe someone can tell me how to get into this vast market, i.e. addresses, passwords, sender appearances, smart thoughts, etc.,” asks the initiator of the discussion, a forum regular under the nickname Pofigist. “Can I also write in a personal message?” – echoes the user LION.
The reason for this conversation was the recent news that the flow of guests from the Middle Kingdom is breaking all records: in the first 9 months of 2015, 395 thousand people visited Moscow as part of tourist groups, which is more than two times more than in the entire 2014.
The first step is to hire a Chinese
According to preliminary estimates, Chinese travelers spent between $800 million and $1 billion in the Russian capital. So the active interest of “smokers” in this topic is quite logical. And, most importantly, he is very timely. Now you can still get into the incoming sphere from China. But this business in Russia is being actively developed by Chinese entrepreneurs themselves, who want to make money by hosting their compatriots. Our businessmen are clearly concerned about growing competition. Soon the direction will be clearly divided and difficult to access for debutants.
So, let's return to the question of forum users: How to start? From behind-the-scenes conversations with experienced experts in the field, we can give some clues. So - in large strokes, without pretense of fundamentality.
Let's start with the fact that comrades LION and Pofigist have different profiles. The first one, obviously, represents a travel agency, i.e. he wants to make money from the reception. The second one is interested in loading the Chinese “3* hotel in picturesque place Moscow region, a 10-minute drive from the Moscow Ring Road and 1 5* hotel in the center, both with congress opportunities and experience in hosting groups, visa support and sane staff.”
Nevertheless, experts give them one piece of advice for both: as an option, hire an employee with knowledge of the language, preferably a Chinese (for example, a student at some Moscow university). To begin with, he must draw up a commercial proposal under your guidance and send it to a wide range of Chinese sending tour operators. And then let him call them - study the demand, establish contacts. Over time, this will give results in the form of the first orders. The employee’s next task is to create a website in Chinese.
And, of course, it makes sense to visit specialized stands with him at Russian tourism exhibitions, and ideally, go to forums in Beijing and Shanghai, but this depends on the budget.
Another recommendation to the prospective tour operator and hotelier: you need to get to know "A world without borders". De jure, this is an association that promotes the development of Chinese tourist flow to Russia. But there is a feeling that its powers are broader than those of public organizations. In particular, she takes part in resolving issues with visas, and somehow participates in approving the list of travel agencies that have the right to issue such invitations to groups for which a simplified visa procedure applies. Over time, it is desirable for any “new” operator to become one of them.
For a hotelier, communication with the “World Without Borders” can also, under certain conditions, advance him towards his goal, that is, to receive orders. By the way, it is this organization that is promoting the China Friendly project - a voluntary certification system, mainly hotels undergo it.
Narrow places
Now - information separately for LION (personal message to the Pofigist hotelier will be below).
It will take time to become one of the companies authorized to provide visa support to Chinese group tourists. Perhaps more than one year. Therefore, at first, newcomers find a tour operator already on this list of selected ones and act through him. The service costs about $10 per “surname.”
We won’t even touch on the food topic, because it is vast. How and how to stand out from the numerous tour operators offering tours around Russia for Chinese guests?.. This is something everyone decides for themselves.
We will only note a number of difficulties that we will definitely encounter.
If you find a large client supplier from China, he will demand that you give him credit. Payment a month and a half after arrival is normal practice for companies of this format. And these, of course, are risks. And it will require significant working capital, which most market participants are currently struggling with.
As for small Chinese firms, rest assured that they will soon try to open their own reception in Russia. They will work for a season or two, then send their emissaries to Moscow and St. Petersburg to negotiate directly with hotels, transport companies, etc.
Further. There is a shortage of tour guides with knowledge of Chinese. There are literally all of them, there are 96 such specialists in Moscow, about 400 in St. Petersburg. They charge $100–150 per working day. Customers always want to reduce this cost item and attract the same Chinese students to serve the groups, who can be paid half as much. But this, as you understand, is illegal, you have to somehow get out of it at the exhibition sites... For example, in St. Petersburg, groups with illegal guides are clearly caught in any museum, local sinologists are a united people, they defend their interests with the whole world. Somewhere in Moscow they may turn a blind eye. But the topic is still painful. We don’t want to let foreigners into these jobs; there aren’t enough of our own, and for now it’s a clinch. In general, a separate topic.
Personally I don't care
Let's add a few words - for a hotelier who wants to host Chinese guests.
The first thing, naturally, you will want to contact local tour operators of this profile, potential suppliers of clientele. Among the most famous are, of course, such inking specialists as, "Tari Tour". We also hear about companies that historically send Russians to China and, accordingly, have a good return flow of clients - among them, for example, "Express Line". Also known in this area "Kalina Travel", "Tumlar" and others. But, perhaps, not such venerable partners, but also beginners, are more suitable for you - in general, look and you will find.
Now, very briefly about how to create a more or less comfortable environment for Chinese clients in a Russian hotel. We need someone at the reception who speaks Chinese. The hotel navigation system is in Chinese. ATMs and terminals with a Chinese interface to use cards issued, respectively, in China and supported by the payment system of this country.
Next, be sure to have free wi-fi. Access to hot drinking water: cooler in the hall, kettles in the rooms, you can’t live without them. Regardless of the level of the hotel, you will need slippers in the rooms; in China they are available everywhere. Well, sockets with Chinese connectors are also very desirable, because clients need to charge their devices.
A separate topic is nutrition. Chinese food should be offered for breakfast, otherwise guests will definitely be dissatisfied with the service, which will be written about in reviews on the relevant resources.
Groups should be placed as compactly as possible, on one floor. Having arrived in a country with a completely different culture, they prefer to stick together, especially since they feel the language barrier acutely. And one more thing: numerology is important for them, familiarize yourself with the basics of this eastern wisdom, it will make life easier for everyone. Well, the simplest things: for example, the number 4 for the natives of the Celestial Empire means “death”, symbolized by the same hieroglyph. Accordingly, they cannot be placed on the fourth floor, in the fourth room, etc.
That's all for now.
But we will definitely continue the Chinese theme. The next publication contains a verbal portrait of a Chinese tourist. It will be useful to everyone who is in one way or another determined to make money in this area.
P.S.: By the way, Happy Year of the Red Fire Monkey to you, dear Pofigist, LION and other readers!
The editors express gratitude for their assistance in preparing the article to the Tari Tour company, the World Without Borders association, and the Department of National Policy, Interregional Relations and Tourism of Moscow.
11 North Caucasus Institute - branch of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation
The article discusses the problems of reception and service foreign tourists on the territory of the Russian Federation. The author paid special attention to guests from China. Interest in this market segment was not caused by chance. The latter is confirmed by an increase in the number Chinese tourists in recent years in our country. The representativeness of this segment is associated with increased income and improved quality of life in the provinces of China, which leads to increased interest in travel. In connection with this fact, there is a need to improve the quality of services in hotel complexes taking into account the interest of tourists from China.
tourism and hospitality market
needs
interests
1. Sergienko A. B. Features of consumer behavior of Chinese tourists // Young scientist. - 2014. - No. 3. - pp. 538-541. [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://moluch.ru/archive/62/9601/ (date of access: October 21, 2016)
2. Chinese tour operators are going to get acquainted with Russia [Electronic resource]. - Access mode http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/1059.html (accessed October 15, 2016)
3. Almost half a million “visa-free” tourists from China visited Russia in 9 months of 2015 [Electronic resource]. - Access mode http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/1014.html (access date: October 15, 2016)
4. Every sixth tourist in Russia is from China [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/838.html
5. Tourism business news [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.atorus.ru/NEWS/press-centre/new/32291.html (accessed October 15, 2016)
6. Features of Chinese tourists in hotels [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/512.html
7. Features of the Chinese tourist for hotels [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://hoteladvisor.livejournal.com/78841.html
8. Came out first tourist map Moscow in Chinese with objects CHINA FRIENDLY [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/816.html
The main consumers of tourism services in the international hospitality market include the economically active middle-aged population from 36-45 years old (28%). The policy of openness and reforms aimed at China's transition to a market economy have formed a middle class, to which managers, entrepreneurs, shareholders, and wealthy peasants belong. This segment of consumers is characterized by a lifestyle that involves significant expenses on cultural events, education, and entertainment. An important driving element of China's tourism flow is family. The peculiarity of the holidays of Chinese tourists is that 38% of tourists travel accompanied by family members and 20% with the whole family. The most representative tourists are those from Beijing, Shanghai, and Heilongjiang Province.
The specificity of travelers from China is such that most tourists make their trips on days public holidays in China, therefore the distribution of volumes of consumption of tourism products is uneven. Currently, there are three “long” holidays in China - the Founding Day of the People's Republic of China (October 1-7), May holidays(May 1-5) and Chinese New Year (celebrated according to the lunar calendar, so the date changes every year). In this regard, one can easily make forecasts about a possible increase in tourist flow during these periods of the year.
Despite the increase in the number of people wishing to vacation outside of China, domestic tourism indicators in the country are still in the lead. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it is not customary for the Chinese to take vacations; often this option is not even provided for in the contract. If leave is taken, then most likely it will be unpaid. Since China has the largest population in the world, competition in the labor market is very high, and as a result, it is not difficult for employers to find new employees, but workers have to put in a lot of effort to first get a job and then keep it. Therefore, for the majority of the population, the only possible time to travel may be during one of the public holidays, and this usually does not exceed a week.
It should be noted that the “visa-free” tourist flow from China to Russia has come close to the half-million mark. According to the Travel Association “World Without Borders,” tourists from China made 480 thousand trips to Russia in the first 9 months of 2015 under the Agreement on Visa-Free Group Travel. During the same time, our fellow citizens made about 184 thousand tourist trips through the “visa-free” channel, which is 60% less than the results of the same period last year (461 thousand trips).
According to the association, tourists from China visit Moscow and St. Petersburg in 98% of cases during a single trip. The cities of the 2014 Winter Olympics are gaining popularity, where tourists get acquainted with such beauties as Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana, and Rosa Khutor.
There has been a significant increase in tourist arrivals from China and in the Irkutsk region - from almost 10 thousand in 2014 to 15 thousand tourist trips in 2015. The growing interest of Chinese residents in vacationing on Lake Baikal is associated with the popularity of ecotourism in the Middle Kingdom. Direct flights contribute to the development of “visa-free” inbound tourist traffic from China and to Novosibirsk; there was an increase in the number of guests in 2015 by 168% compared to the previous year. Among the regions that are gaining popularity among Chinese tourists, we can mention the Sverdlovsk region, which has attracted the interest of about a thousand Chinese business tourists.
The growth of tourist flow from China is positively influenced not only by the possibility of traveling on visa-free group lists, which allows tourists to save time and money on paperwork. But most importantly, since last year, on the initiative of the Travel Association “World Without Borders,” a project has been launched to adapt tourism services to the needs of guests from China, China Friendly. Tourists from China have already appreciated the benefits of staying in China Friendly hotels, noting the comfort of accommodation, location and attentiveness to the guests of the program participants.
If we analyze the tourist flow to Russia, it should be noted that Russia took second place in the popularity ranking among tourists from Turkey, from where almost 30 thousand tourists came to Russia, which is 20% more than last year’s results, third place went to Israel, more than 18 thousand (+24%) whose residents visited our country in the first three months of 2015. However, the former leader in entry to Russia - Germany - was in 4th place, just under 18 thousand citizens of this country visited the Russian Federation, which is 5% less than the results of the same period in 2014.
Despite the trend of revival in the tourism market, it is worth noting that Chinese tourists are very specific and the receiving party should consider this fact with particular care in the process of meeting their needs.
Basically, infrastructure facilities - hotels, train stations, airports, trains, airplanes - face the peculiarities of receiving Chinese tourists. Some hotels in Europe refuse to accept tourists from China, since after their stay they often have to update the number of rooms and carry out minor cosmetic repairs. For example, many travel agencies in St. Petersburg strive to plan their tours and excursions so as not to interfere with Chinese groups. Otherwise, tourists from other countries will not see anything and will not be able to take photographs, since Chinese tourists will crowd around the monuments for a long time.
And in the picturesque Swiss mountain resort of Mount Rigi in the Alps, local authorities and railway workers will soon launch special tourist trains on which only guests from China will travel around the local area. This decision was a response to numerous complaints from passengers from other countries about the noisy and rude behavior of Chinese tourists. Indeed, Chinese tourists are accused of blocking train corridors, constantly congregating near the windows, which prevents other passengers from taking photographs, having loud and noisy conversations, and in addition, they leave a lot of garbage in the carriages. According to Blick, there have even been cases of other passengers' shoes being stolen. Despite the launch of special trains, tourists from the Middle Kingdom will in no case be deprived of the opportunity to travel on regular trains. Therefore, anyone who undertakes to serve the Chinese in Russia takes risks, trying to provide guests from the PRC with maximum comfort. For example, when catering, they are provided with separate rooms and Chinese dishes are specially prepared.
The appearance of information about special trains in China itself was called “discrimination.” Many mainstream Chinese media criticize the move, saying Chinese travelers are "bringing an economic boom for Switzerland." However, there are also reminders that this spring, Chinese tourism authorities have already warned their citizens going on holiday abroad that their uncivilized behavior negatively affects the country's image abroad. To reduce the number of such incidents, Chinese tourists were warned that their behavior "will be monitored through local tourism bureaus, the media and the general public" over the next two years. The Chinese authorities were prompted to take such measures by a resonant incident in 2013 with a Chinese student who scratched his name on the wall ancient temple in Luxor.
The unacceptable behavior of the Chinese is also reported by the aviation authorities of the PRC itself, who published an official warning for passengers in mid-August, reminding them how to behave on board and at airports. According to local media, in the first half of August alone, there were 15 attempts by Chinese passengers to open plane doors during takeoff or landing, as well as one case of in-flight arson.
Authorities warn that Chinese citizens “will be severely punished or prosecuted” for inappropriate behavior. In particular, we are talking about blocking actions or attacks on airport employees and crew members, illegal entry onto the apron or runway, destruction or damage to airport facilities, opening aircraft doors, damaging aircraft equipment, and transporting dangerous tools.
Despite all the claims that hotels and other accommodation places make, Chinese tourists are consumers with special requirements for hospitality and service.
When visiting another country, Chinese tourists strive for comfort and a familiar environment. Guests from China pay attention to the presence of a Chinese breakfast, tea set in the room, electrical outlets or adapters suitable for the PRC standard, as well as slippers.
The most pressing issue for tourists from China is related to the language barrier, so it is necessary to use signs and information materials in Chinese in hotels and other vacation spots, as well as in catering establishments. In the rooms it is advisable to ensure the broadcast of television channels in the native language of tourists, since these are important details for have a nice rest. In addition, as shown by the Chinese International Travel Monitor study conducted by Hotels.com. Almost 60% of Chinese tourists, when choosing a hotel, pay special attention to the ability to pay with China UnionPay cards, as well as the availability of free Wi-Fi in the hotel.
The most popular among tourists from China are 3- and 4-star hotels (28 and 29%, respectively). 5-star hotels attract only 17% of respondents. Moreover, 7% of respondents preferred the all-inclusive format. Motels and hostels combined are preferred by only 6% of Chinese tourists. Thus, we can conclude that tourists from China prefer a comfortable stay and have quite high demands on the hotel. In addition, it should be borne in mind that Chinese tourists pay great attention to the magic of numbers and the symbolism of color. Given this fact, hotels cannot provide floors and rooms where the number 4 appears and the color scheme is white. Chinese tourists do not bring personal hygiene products with them and, moreover, believe that they should be provided free of charge by the hotel. Chinese culture often implies the absence of street shoes in the house (just like ours), so the Chinese very often take off their shoes immediately upon entering the room and, as a result, disposable slippers are extremely necessary for guests. Hotels need to prepare the room in advance for tea ceremonies. The Chinese take tea with them, but the hotel needs to prepare napkins, a kettle and a place for drinking tea in advance.
The travel association “World Without Borders” has already developed a voluntary certification program for China Friendly Hotels accommodation facilities, which takes into account all the differences between Russian and Chinese life and allows guests from China to feel as comfortable in hotels in Russia as in their home country. Thanks to cooperation with experts from the China Friendly Hotels program, Russian hoteliers will be able to receive qualified advice on the characteristics of Chinese tourists and working with them.
For example, the French hotel chain Accor has already adapted 56 hotels in Europe to accommodate Chinese tourists. In Berlin, city authorities have opened a network of souvenir shops with a German theme designed specifically for Chinese tourists. Tourism authorities in many countries are opening special websites in Chinese. A separate group of problems is associated with existing differences in the cultural behavior and basic understanding of tourism between Chinese and European travelers. All this must be taken into account by workers in the tourism industry. In the process of developing a tourism product for Chinese consumers, one should turn to orientalists who can give more detailed information about the cultural specifics of the Chinese people and behavioral characteristics.
Especially for tourists from China, within the framework of the China Friendly project, a map of Moscow was created in Chinese, where the main attractions, train stations, airports, metro stations and other objects necessary for tourists, as well as hotels that are holders of the China Friendly Quality Mark, are marked. When compiling the map, the preferences of tourists from China were taken into account. According to the Travel Association "World Without Borders", the most popular among Chinese tourists in the capital are visits to Red Square (1st place) and the Kremlin (2nd place). The top three in the ranking is completed by the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory.
According to the association’s rating, the Moscow Metro is one of the most popular attractions among tourists from China (4th place) - so that guests from the Middle Kingdom can independently explore the beauty of the Moscow subway, on new map Moscow is given a Chinese-language metro map. Marked on the map is the final top 5 popular among Chinese tourists, according to the Travel Association “World Without Borders”, Novodevichy Convent. Tourists from China come to the walls Novodevichy Convent to honor the memory of famous cultural, scientific and political figures; this is where the “Chinese Trotsky”, the leader of the CPC Wang Ming, is buried.
The tourist map of the city of Moscow in Chinese is distributed free of charge at all Moscow airports among tourists arriving in Russia under the visa-free group exchange agreement between Russia and China, in city hotels included in the China Friendly program and in tourist information centers.
Taking into account the segmentation of the Chinese tourist and focusing on the specifics of his consumer preferences, the tourist territories of the Russian Federation will be able to expand the infrastructure that will meet the interests of guests and, as a result, this circumstance will lead to an increase in profitability from tourist activities.
Bibliographic link
Zolotareva Yu.V. CHINESE TOURISTS – A REPRESENTATIVE SEGMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY MARKET // International Journal of Applied and Fundamental Research. – 2016. – No. 12-6. – P. 1132-1135;URL: https://applied-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=11001 (access date: 02/06/2020). We bring to your attention magazines published by the publishing house "Academy of Natural Sciences"
Chinese tourists are an inevitable attribute of megacities where there are at least several world-class attractions. At the beginning of the 2000s, an agreement was concluded between Russia and China on a visa-free regime for short tours, which made Moscow, St. Petersburg and several other regions important destinations for Chinese travelers. Add to this the fall of the ruble in 2014, the cooling of relations with Europe and America and the growing prosperity of China - and you get the Hermitage in St. Petersburg filled with Chinese on weekdays and Red Square, where Chinese speech sounds louder than Russian.
Every year, Russian media write that tourism activity in Asian countries is breaking records, that this year there are thematic tours from China dedicated to 1917 and the October Revolution of the Russian economy, that Chinese buyers are cashing in luxury stores and participating in the resale of Yeezy sneakers. In general, optimism is justified: according to statistics from the Federal Tourism Agency for 2016, more than 1 million Chinese visited Russia (Finland is in second place with the same 1 million). However, some experts say that most of the money that the Chinese spend in Moscow remains in the shadow sector of the economy or returns to the PRC, because it is mainly Chinese businessmen who serve Chinese tourists in Russia.
Who comes to Moscow?
Anna Sibirkina
Deputy Director of the World Without Borders Tourism Association, Head of the China Friendly Program
“The Chinese are the most traveled nation in the world, largely because they are the most numerous. But there are also many cultural factors: domestic tourism is very popular in China, people regularly travel to other provinces. What is among them a large number of pensioners, is also due to cultural characteristics. For a long time, the PRC had a law “One family - one child,” so parents tried to invest as much as possible in their children, educate them and give them everything: an apartment, a car and an education. After children grew up, they traditionally began to take care of their parents.
Mass tourism to Russia from China appeared in the early 2000s, when an agreement on visa-free travel was concluded, which is why most tourists come in groups. The Russian destination is popular due to its geographical proximity, low prices and good relations between the two countries."
Victoria Levitskaya
Orientalist, Chinese translator
“Most Chinese are very poor and cannot afford to go abroad. The layer of middle class and very wealthy people in China is very small. The very rich come on their own, hire translators, guides and go in small groups. Middle-class tourists often travel by bus - crowds of them can be seen on Red Square with cameras.”
Anna Stepanova
Guide - translator from Chinese
“Russia has become a popular destination because with the fall of the ruble it has become cheap here. The Chinese are attracted by mystery: Moscow is far away and unusual for them, so if they have a lot of time in retirement, then why not go here. Chinese tourists are also different. Some come to look at the communist legacy, they admire Putin and think that Russia and China are friends. There are those who buy luxury tours, or simply businessmen who have already been everywhere and are now coming to Russia.”
How are Chinese tourists different from others?
Sibirkina:“If we talk about tourist groups, then they are maximally geared towards “All Inclusive”. They always have a guide with them. Chinese citizens do not always know the history of other countries; Red Square for them is a place that is associated only with Lenin and Stalin. They have trouble with other details.
The key point is food. At 12 o'clock, almost all of China goes out to have lunch en masse: food is eaten exclusively according to a schedule, a cult of food and public catering reigns there. Many guides have a saying: “When a Chinese group arrives, there will be a drought.” You've probably seen that many Chinese walk around with bottles of water or thermoses: they constantly drink water and teas. This is due to traditional medicine: they believe that warm water promotes all physiological processes.
But due to the fact that the level of culture and education among Chinese tourists is very different, there are oddities - some cook noodles in teapots. They have a completely different attitude towards cleanliness and dirt: when they eat, they can throw garbage from the table onto the floor because it is convenient. It’s also important to know that the Chinese are quite disciplined and if you point out certain things to them, they will listen.”
Irina Grishina
Sinology guide
“Unlike European tourists, they have great respect for the USSR and the country’s communist past. This is largely due to the fact that the Soviet Union helped China. They consider us a friendly people. The key difference from all other tourists is the constant presence of a guide. While European tourists can buy one or two excursions during their entire trip, the Chinese are always on excursions.”
2 of 13 3 of 13 4 of 13 5 of 13 6 of 13 7 of 13 8 of 13 9 of 13 10 of 13 11 of 13 12 of 13 13 of 13Daria Zhdanova
MSPU student, sinologist, works as a guide
“In the fall, I was a guide for tourists from Taiwan - and they saw the first snow. It’s clear that in Moscow it’s not God knows what, just a small grain falls. But they were simply amazed and later told me how cool it was. True, when a few days later a real snowstorm began and Moscow fell asleep, they were disappointed in the snow.”
Sibirkina:“They go to Moscow for what they once heard about: about Red Square, about Lenin, the Mausoleum. They are very happy about the opportunity to attend the Russian ballet - they have a reverent attitude towards Russian culture and music. They love the metro, visiting the Novodevichy Cemetery, and seeing all the big buildings. They know “Bunker 42” on Taganka, and they are very interested in all the excursions dedicated to the Soviet period. But you won’t be able to attract them to museums of modern art or some newfangled shows, because Chinese tourists are terribly conservative.”
Stepanova: “Tourists have different groups and routes. For example, there is “Red China” - these are tours to places of the Soviet past. They go to the Mausoleum, go to Lenin’s homeland, and on Red Square they go to the cemetery where political figures are buried. We also take you on a sightseeing tour: it’s always Moscow State University, Victory Square, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Few people go to the Tretyakov Gallery; this year, for example, there was never a group there. To the Pushkin Museum - more often. Therefore, the main museum is the Kremlin, and the Armory Chamber is there.
What surprises tourists most is the structure of the city: a lot of traffic jams, wide roads and the absence of mopeds and motorcycles. Many people like monumentalism, Stalin’s Tverskaya and high-rise buildings. They are pleasantly surprised by the friendly Russians - before the trip they thought that the people living here were very gloomy.”
Where else do tourists go?
Souvenir shop "Heritage" in GUM
1 of 5Souvenir shop "Zhostovo" in GUM
2 out of 5Banquet hall in "Bunker 42"
© Bunker 42
3 out of 5The Three Wise Men restaurant is a frequent stop for groups of Chinese tourists.
© wikimapia.org/Moscowich
4 out of 5Shop "Russian Souvenirs" on Arbat
5 out of 5About illegal guides
Grishina: “Now there is a problem with illegal guides who tell all sorts of pearls about them. The difference between us and the professionals is that we talk about the history of the country, and they sell amber and gold. But apparently our government is not very interested in this problem, because no matter how much we talk about it, nothing changes. What needs to be done? It is necessary that only a citizen of the Russian Federation who has a license can work as a guide. It is also important that the law not only exists, but is also enforced. Because now, for example, many Chinese guides work in the Kremlin through translation: they hire a guide with an unclaimed language, for example Latvian, and go with him, and then somehow the Chinese guide translates everything to the group.”
What are they photographing?
Zhdanova:“I took a small group of Chinese students around Moscow: VDNKh, Victory Park, Culture Park and Muzeon with the Bryusov still standing there at that time. We also visited the Tretyakov Gallery and Pushkinsky. They didn't like museums - they liked walking around the city more. They especially liked Red Square - they did a photo shoot there for about 30 minutes. They were also very surprised Moscow Metro, in which they were photographed literally at every meter. We went out with them only at the most beautiful stations, although they were ready to watch literally everything.
Chinese tourists take photographs of all the monuments they see along the way. Sometimes cafes also rent foreigners - especially if they stand in a crowd. It’s difficult for me to talk about tourists in general, but the students I went with weren’t very interested in the history of places: for them the main thing was just to take a photograph. Probably in order to post it on social networks later.”
Sibirkina:“Chinese citizens are very connected - they have a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and photography is an opportunity to share and show off. Chinese social networks also play a big role - they have huge communities in which they instantly post photos. We took a selfie in front of the Nikulin Circus and immediately posted it on WeChat. They love to shoot anything that is different from China. For example, fair-haired white children - they constantly arrange photo sessions with my child, literally passing them from hand to hand. In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, after an influx of tourists from Asia, they introduced a rule prohibiting taking selfies with icons: they do not have the same attitude towards holiness as we do. When entering the territory of the Lavra, I need to separately stipulate to them that they are not allowed to spit, litter, smoke or take selfies with the icons.”
What do they eat in Moscow?
Levitskaya:“We went to China News and they praised their cuisine, but they lack pepper, spices and glutamate. They don’t understand borscht - there are no noodles there! In the evening they sat in “The Country That Doesn’t Exist,” and they liked the vodka; beer and wine - for them this is small, not held in high esteem. Vodka, nesting dolls, furs, jewelry, large-scale architecture and spiritual heritage - this is how you can describe the interests of the Chinese in Moscow.”
They don’t understand borscht - there are no noodles there!
Stanislav Lisichenko
Owner of the Chinese News restaurant chain
“The Chinese can only eat their own food, they don’t perceive anything else on a physiological level - meat and potatoes simply make them feel bad. In Moscow, they eat in specialized Chinese restaurants - and even in serious hotels, for example, in the Azimut chain, Chinese breakfasts and lunches appear. Some enterprising travel agency owners open eateries that feed exclusively Chinese tourists, for example, the Fuda restaurant in MDM. Tourists also come to Chinese News and always order strictly specific items: beef noodles, tofu cheese, steamed dumplings, fried noodles with pork and smashed cucumbers.”
