Happy New Year of The Snake
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China Travel
News, March 2013
Wonderful
China, Wonderful Tours, Wonder Travel Agent
CNTO Study on Tourism to China
As noted in our previous newsletters, the
China National Tourist Office (CNTO),
through PhoCusWright, fielded a survey of
more than 30,00 individuals, targeting U.S.
adults who have traveled to Asia in the past
two years or who are likely to travel again
in the next two years. As promised, we will
continue to share the results of this survey
over the course of this year. This month, we
focus on information sources for travelers
making a decision about upcoming travel
destinations.
Interpretation: Travelers
consulted a range of online and offline
information sources when choosing their
destination. Personal recommendations from
friends/family was the most commonly cited
information source among travelers whose
last trip was to Asia, while travelers whose
last trip was not to Asia were more likely
to research on online. Travelers whose last
trip was not to Asia were also more likely
to rely on brochures and printed guidebooks.
Notably, websites or applications via tablet
were used by 15% of travelers whose last
trip was to Asia – an even larger share than
travelers in that group who used websites or
applications via mobile phone (10%).
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China Travel News
Beijing-Shanghai
High-Speed Railroad Massively Successful in
First Year-and-a-Half
The high-speed railway line that connects
Beijing and Shanghai – and cuts travel time
between the two major cities from eight-plus
hours to only five hours – has already
reached more than 100 million passenger
trips since its initial operation in June
2011. The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail
is now accompanied by the Beijing-Guangzhou
line – the world’s longest, and in operation
since December 2012. With these two rails
and other railway lines offered throughout
China, travel by train continues to be an
excellent transportation option for both
locals and visitors within China.
CNN
Travel Touts China’s Most Beautiful Water
Towns
China is known the world over as one of the
fastest-growing countries. But beyond its
skyscrapers and modern innovations, China is
still home to many breathtaking historic and
natural sites that have retained their
authenticity. CNN Travel has recognized this
and shared with readers “China’s 5 most
beautiful water towns,” an article
highlighting Hongcun Ancient Village, Anhui
Province; Tai'erzhuang, Shandong Province;
Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu Province; Fenghuang,
Hunan Province; and Huangyao Ancient Town,
Guangxi. Read more about these water towns
at http://travel.cnn.com/chinas-best-water-towns-674276 so
you can help your clients experience even
more picturesque places in China.
China’s
Grand Canal and Silk Road on the Path to
UNESCO World Heritage Status
China has a wealth of natural and cultural
sites already on the UNESCO World Heritage
List, but hopes to add two more to the list
this year. The Grand Canal of China and the
Silk Road – two sites of great Chinese
historical significance – are up for
consideration by UNESCO. Once the main route
for ancient trade between China and the
West, the Silk Road was a key artery for
business and cultural exchange. The Grand
Canal is the longest man-made waterway in
the world, connecting five bodies of water
in China, and played a crucial role in the
development of Chinese innovation. Upon
inscription to the UNESCO World Heritage
List, the two sites will join China’s
current 43 inscripted sites and the 50
tentative sites.
Four
of Beijing’s Off-the-Beaten-Path Activities
Revealed in the Wall Street Journal
Are your clients interested in a “totally
new” or “truly authentic” travel experience
in Asia? The Wall Street Journal featured
just that – new things to do in Beijing,
China, in its travel section this month.
Entitled “Only in...Beijing,” the article
highlights “four oddball things worth
slowing down for in China’s frenetic
capital” and goes beyond the larger
attractions such as the Summer Palace,
Forbidden City and the Great Wall to feature
sights and experiences “off the tourist
track.” Here’s a surprising one for China:
how about the most bona fide Korean kimchi
available? The article shares where you or
your clients can eat at a North Korean
government-run restaurant in Beijing, where
the waitresses are “said to train in North
Korea for a full two years before being
allowed to leave the homeland to serve
bibimbap.” To read where exactly you can
taste this in China – as well as the three
other incredible experiences and sights the
WSJ describes, go to http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324503204578318531083850050.html.
Meet
CNTO at Cruise Shipping Miami 2013
The China National Tourist Office in New
York will be exhibiting at this year’s
Cruise Shipping Miami, the leading trade
event for cruise industry buyers and
suppliers in the U.S., from March 11-14,
2013. “On board” at the event are some major
Chinese cruise destinations, including
Guangdong Province, Tianjin Municipal City,
Qingdao City, Shanghai Municipal City,
Guangxi Province, Chongqing Municipal City,
Xiamen City and Sanya City. If you’re
attending Cruise Shipping Miami, be sure to
visit CNTO at booth #459 for more
information about these destinations in
China or adding China to a cruise itinerary.
We hope to see you in Miami!
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Upcoming Events in China
Formula
1 Racing Comes to China this April
The 2013 Formula 1 UBS Chinese Grand
Prix is taking place in Shanghai
this year from April 12-14. The
Shanghai International Circuit
features “stunning architecture,
high-speed straights and winding
turns,” as described by Formula 1.
Team Red Bull driver Sebastian
Vettel described it by saying: “the
track in China is unique due to its
size” and explained why the ample
course and pit areas make it a
driver, crew and fan favorite. This
event is an ideal activity for
high-octane trips, guys’ weeks, as a
business travel add-on, and even
just another unique experience while
in China. For a full schedule, photo
gallery, videos, information on
tickets and events, go to www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/china_895/circuit_diagram.html.
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Airline Partner News
Air
China to Purchase 31 New Boeing Aircraft
Air China recently signed an agreement with
Boeing to buy a total of 31 passenger jets
and freighters from Boeing in order to
expand its fleet. Among the massive order
will be two Boeing 747s, one 777, and 20
737s, for a total approximate cost of USD
$2.6 billion, as well as many freighters for
Air China Cargo, bringing the total combined
list price to $4.83 billion. Delivery of the
passenger planes will occur between 2014 and
2015. With this monumental purchase, Air
China seeks to expand its capacity and
improve efficiency of its flight services.
More
Flights from the U.S. to China Planned for
2013
Three major airlines will increase their
offerings from the U.S. to China this year,
making getting to the destination even more
convenient. Starting April 26, 2013, China
Eastern Airlines will begin daily direct
flights between Shanghai (PVG) and San
Francisco (SFO). Air China will commence
non-stop service between Houston (IAH) and
Beijing (PEK) four times a week starting
July 11, 2013; Houston will be Air China’s
fifth gateway in North America in addition
to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and
Vancouver. Finally, Hainan Airlines will
launch non-stop service between Beijing
(PEK) and Chicago (ORD) in early September
this year, with four flights a week
(Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday).
These new flights will be in addition to
Hainan’s existing direct flights to Beijing
from Seattle and Toronto
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New Tourism Developments
Conrad
Beijing Opens its Doors
Hilton Worldwide’s flagship property in
Beijing welcomes its first guests this month
with the opening of the Conrad Beijing. With
a prime location in China’s capital city,
the Conrad Beijing offers stylish
surroundings: the hotel’s 289 guest rooms
feature floor-to-ceiling windows with
picturesque views of Tuanjie Lake Park, the
iconic CCTV building and the Beijing
skyline. Also on property are a modern
fitness center, a spa, heated swimming pool,
dining and entertainment options, as well as
banquet and board rooms for professional
meetings and events.
Grand
Hyatt Beijing at Oriental Plaza Completes
Renovations
This award-winning property, which is
located at the prestigious crossroads of
Chang An Avenue and Wangfujing, just minutes
within walking distance away from the
Forbidden City, has completed renovation of
234 Grand Premium Rooms. The remaining 591
guestrooms in the Grand Hyatt Beijing will
be renovated over the next three years,
while the hotel’s well-known lobby and
restaurants will remain unchanged. The newly
updated guest rooms feature all-new
furnishings and outfitting, as well as
increased functionality for today’s
tech-savvy travelers.
Mövenpick
Adds Its First Property in China
The Swiss hotelier, Mövenpick Hotels &
Resorts, will open their first property in
China, a 250-room hotel in Enshi City, Hubei
Province. The new five-story Mövenpick Hotel
Enshi is set to open in summer 2013 and will
be just a short drive from the area that
includes Enshi Grand Canyon and lush
countryside. The hotel will feature two
restaurants, a bar, club lounge, ballroom,
meeting rooms, and a pool, spa and fitness
center. By 2015, Mövenpick plans to open
three additional properties in China, with a
resort in Phoenix Island, Sanya, a property
in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia; and a hotel
in Jiading, Shanghai.
Steigenberger
Hotel Group Enters Chinese Hotel Market with
Joint Venture
Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts,
InterCityHotel and Beijing Yun Bang
Investment Trade Co. have joined together to
establish the two hotel brands within the
Chinese hotel market, pairing “German
know-how and local Guangxi (inside
connections),” according to Travel Pulse.
The five-star Hotel Maximilian is slated to
open this summer in Beijing and be managed
by Steigenberger. The hotel will include 300
rooms, a German-style pub, a Chinese
restaurant and more, located on the AUDI
World site in the north section of the city.
Further in the future, the group plans to
open its second hotel in China in Qingdao, a
coastal water town, with a launch as early
as winter 2015.
Jin
Jiang International Hotel Management Company
Announces the Opening of Hotel in Yulin City
The Yulin Petroleum Hotel had its soft
opening recently, previewing its 395 guest
rooms and suites, 26 meeting and conference
rooms, and many restaurants. The new hotel
even has a multipurpose room that can hold
up to 900 people. The hotel is located in
the scenic city of Yulin, which is north of
Shaanxi province in Northwest China and is
known as “China’s Kuwait” due to the
chemical and energy bases established there.
The Yulin area is rich with mineral
resources and attracts a large number of
business travelers. This 5-star hotel is
located within easy access to Yulin city’s
airport (UYN), railway station and city
center, and close to historical landmark
sites such as the Great Wall, the Yellow
River, and the Red Stone Gorge.
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Culture Corner
The
Old Town of Lijiang has a storied history of
more than 800 years. Once a convergence of
trade routes along the “Old Tea Horse Road,”
Lijiang has retained its historic
architecture, layout and charm and the town
was inscribed on UNESCO Heritage Site
listings in 1997. Its narrow cobbled roads,
the gurgling canal, and its ancient
architecture combine to create a tranquil
place of days gone by. Lijiang also
possesses an ancient water-supply system of
great complexity and ingenuity that still
functions effectively today.
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