According to the latest study by Bank of America, Chinese tourists are among biggest spenders and, as their number is growing, they become highly welcome guests in many hotels worldwide. In 2014, 109 million of Chinese tourists spent US$164 billion, and by 2019 the number of tourists is expected to grow to 174 million, and their spending will reach US$264 billion. Naturally, hotel companies try to offer special campaigns and services to help Chinese visitors feel comfortable away from home.
Hilton Worldwide, therefore, introduced its new Hilton Huanying program that is currently available in 110 Hilton Worldwide properties around the world. The participating brands are Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Conrad Hotels & Resorts in 30 countries and 65 cities that are widely visited by travelers from China. These are mostly gateway cities like London, Tokyo, New York, Seoul, Paris, and San Francisco.
The term Huanying is a derivative from the Chinese word “welcome”. The program includes three main hospitality points: personalized arrival, special amenities, and breakfasts made for Chinese guests. Moreover, most hotels offer a 24-h interpretation service for Mandarin speaking guests.
When arriving at hotel that supports the Huanying program, hotel guests will get a greeting card in simplified Chinese. When at hotel, guests can always ask Mandarin interpreters help them. Many hotels also have team members who speak Chinese. Special amenities for Chinese guests include tea kettles, jasmine tea, special Mandarin TV channel, and slippers. Many Chinese guests have trouble eating abroad. Knowing about the problem, Hilton has launched special breakfasts that include fried noodles or rice, a choice of dim sum, hard boiled eggs, fried dough fritters, fresh fruit, soy milk, and Chinese tea. Culinary utensils include Chinese chopsticks, dishes for soy sauce and Chinese spoons.