The Chinese, traveling the world today more than ever, are the new face of tourism.  Faced with this new clientele, the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), whose brands include InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, has launched a program in all of its locations dedicated to providing a personalized welcome to tourists from the Middle Kingdom.

IHG has launched a new initiative, designated "Zhou Dao," which integrates IHG's Chinese name "Zhou" with the Chinese philosophical concept "Dao," to provide a personalized welcome for its Chinese clientele. More than 10,000 employees have followed a training program on Chinese etiquette, culture and hospitality. The objective: tourists from the Middle Kingdom should feel at home.

Hotels designated as "China Ready" will from now on welcome their Chinese guests with special considerations. Some key elements of the program include Mandarin-speaking employees at the front desk as well as on phone support, a special welcome gift bag and the ability to pay with China UnionPay cards. Also, in their rooms, Chinese tourists will have access to Chinese television stations and a selection of Chinese teas they are already familiar with.

To date, there are roughly 100 hotels participating in the program, including the InterContinental London Park Lane and the InterContinental Paris Le Grand, and IHG intends to more than double that number to 250 by the end of the year.

In a recent report, IHG indicated that the Chinese tourist clientele in Paris is expected to increase by 93% by 2023, while London will double the number of Chinese visitors it receives by then.
Source: Relaxnews