Hotel staff in the Scottish Highlands could learn Mandarin and provide chopsticks and noodles in rooms to make Chinese tourists feel welcome, a travel expert has said. Visiting the scenic region is becoming increasingly popular among middle class tourists in China but cultural nuances are not often catered for. Monica Lee-Macpherson, chairwoman of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and Moray Chinese Association, said making a few changes would benefit the tourism industry and it starts with B&B owners.
Ms Lee-Macpherson, a Chinese-Scot who organises tours of stunning Highlands beauty spots, said restaurants could include more imagery in their menus and rooms should have an option of twin-beds, which are more popular with Chinese visitors, to make tourists feel more ‘at home’. Approximately 62,000 Chinese visitors travelled to Scotland in 2017, an increase of 51 per cent from 2016, spending a total of £44 million, according to VisitScotland.
It is still well below the number of visitors from smaller countries in inland Europe, but Ms Lee-Macpherson argues Chinese people are more likely to spend money during their trips. She was made an MBE in 2009 for services to Chinese people in the Highlands and Moray and said they often left frustrated by a lack of facilities – including having to share bathrooms and there being nowhere to buy authentic designer goods. She told The Times: ‘A lot of hotels have Polish, Italian, Spanish or even Japanese speakers, but I don’t know any that have Mandarin speakers. ‘They don’t even learn simple phrases like “how are you?”, “good morning” or “thank you”.’
She added: ‘We think too much about Europeans, but how often do you see a European visitor go and buy four cashmere jumpers without even batting an eyelid?
‘Chinese people have new found wealth and will spend that money.’
China Ready workshops have been hosted at various tourism conferences in Scotland including by the Scottish Tourism Alliance. They include how staff can approach visitors and adapt their stays to make them feel more at home. The Edinburgh Tourist Action Group is also providing Chinese tourism related resources to help staff understand and adapt to the culture.
By Nic Brunetti