Chinese Tourists in Holland
After a month in Holland it’s good to be back in the dirty heat of Shanghai.
Being a China News addict I wasn’t let down. Dutch Media love items about China, from little funny tidbits about how the film MI 3 may not be released in China because there is too much laundry hanging in the street to video items about the average time a Chinese tourist spends in Holland while on a Europe tour.
With a bit of luck they stay 1.5 day but for most tours Holland is a short break on the way from Belgium to Germany (or vice versa). On average the time in Holland is probably less than 12 hours.
Dutch Hotels are more expensive than Belgian and German ones. Chinese tourists spend a maximum of 30 Euro to sleep so it makes sense to do it this way as long as Dutch hotels like to stay expensive.
The Dutch tourism board did some self-fulfilling research and concluded that in the future (I guess far future) the Chinese tourists will choose more for quality. With quality they probably imply paying too much for hotel rooms.
One other reason they stay a short time is the fact that Chinese will enter Europe in Germany or France. Visa procedures are more convenient there.
A friend working in the China tourism industry once told me that Chinese tourists spend almost 300 Euro a day while on tour abroad, buying all kind of souvenirs and other brand products.
In 2005 107.000 Chinese visited Holland. A bit less than the expected and the numbers have been adjusted for the coming years. Before the estimation for 2007 was 350.000, now they hope to get 175.000 in 2010.
It would be smart to keep them a bit longer inside the borders and have them spend. Maybe it helps when the Dutch government gets rid of the idea that all Chinese want to stay in Holland forever and improve/simplify the visa process.
Sources: Geledraak (Dutch) , Volkskrant (Dutch)
Posted
Wednesday, June 7th, 2006 at 4:54 am,
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June 8th, 2006 05:13
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June 19th, 2006 22:35
Hey, those wooden clog shoes are so expensive!!
I like your Den Haag and Amsterdam…the Netherlands to me is more closed to Scandinavia and Germany.
June 20th, 2006 00:22
Good you like my small country. Wooden clogs can be a bit pricey, true. Did you buy any, and if so, you are wearing them?
June 21st, 2006 08:36
No, I didn’t buy any but I guess I won’t wear them if I have a pair. I know people in the countryside of Holland may still wear when do some gardening. Hey, instead I got a little diamond necklace before as a gift from your country and I’ve just read from Shanghaiist buying diamond in Amsterdam was awarded as one of the 20 unforgettable experience of lifetime, first time for me to hear that.
I did backpacking in Holland on my own when I was studying in Europe and I guess I see more of the country than those regular Chinese group travellers..yep I agree they are going to pack up on the Europe streets like the Japanese do soon. Hope they wouldn’t scare the gentle Europeans:P
Dutch people are really nice and gave me help (Hmm…Dutch gals are tall!)…I wish you happy staying in my hometown and hope the uncivilized fragments won’t let you down.
Cheers.