Having spent over four decades in the hospitality industry, I can only recall one, maybe two years,where I have been able to celebrate a traditional family Christmas.
It goes with the territory, and personally, it gives tremendous pleasure seeing our guests relax and enjoy quality time with their loved ones over the festive season.
However, I hope readers will stop and consider for a moment and join with me in saluting all those involved in the tourism industry who are working over Christmas and had to forgo that special time that many take for granted to ensure our cherished visitors have the most memorable stay.
Thirty years ago while enjoying a holiday with my then baby daughter at Southern Palms Hotel, I can graphically recall one of their regular guests dressing up as Santa.
Guests and staff then led a long line of small children down to the beach and seemingly like magic, Santa appeared in an inflatable boat with a pile of presents. The smiles and expressions on those tiny faces were priceless and I am sure many years later, it is one of the reasons those youngsters, now adults, return year after year to Barbados.
Hardly a week seems to go by without someone writing or speaking out about the enormous potential of the outbound Chinese tourism market, whether the observations are made by an academic, diplomat, tourism official or whoever. You could in most cases hardly dispute what they say, but lacking is exactly how they are going to get visitors from China here in the first place.
Hilton has had a physical presence in the People’s Republic for more than 20 years and you cannot fail to be impressed by the way they have been nurturing the global benefit this market is currently providing and is anticipated to generate for the lodging group.
More than 50 of the 3 750 hotels they operate around the world in 84 countries are part of a programme called Hilton Huanying, meaning welcome.
This includes having Mandarin-speaking staff, menu translations, eating options they would find at home, a choice of Chinese television stations, plus slippers, green and oolong specialty teas and kettles in each room.
Four-part video
Hilton also commissioned an extensive report through the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies on the subject, as well as produced a four-part video outlining the objectives and possible rewards from this market.
This is available online to “all 135 000 team members” of the company.
The media, general public and interested industry players can also download various versions of the conclusions from hiltonglobalmediacenter.com or watch videos on YouTube.
Hilton makes no apologies for stating its intended goal to be the brand of choice for the oncoming wave of Chinese travellers, but it has to be throughly commended for sharing so much of what is clearly very detailed and expensive research.
According to Hilton, Chinese visitors to Britain spend an average £202 per night (roughly BDS$640), which is more than the typical Russian, Arabian or Japanese tourist.
If “we” are really serious about attracting this market, it is abundantly clear that a lot of preparatory work has to be done, and a good start might be reading Hilton’s detailed synopsis.