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ability to compete with Europe. Visitors from China can take out a Schengen visa, allowing them to visit 26 European countries but need a separate visa to cross the channel.
Gender pay gap“ disappears”
The latest figures also reveal that the gender pay gap has now completely disappeared, according to Fourth. Previously males earned 13p more per hour in June 2016 and 21p more in 2014. This is a blended figure across the hospitality, with men earning more on average in the pub and restaurant sectors, while women earn more in the QSR and hotel sectors.
UK must up its game to attract high-spending Chinese
A‘ Think Tank’ report from the British Hospitality Association( BHA) has found that the UK lags behind European countries when it comes to attracting high-spending Chinese tourists to London’ s luxury hotels.
The Report found that while France welcomes over 1 million visitors from China per year, the UK only receives 328,000 Chinese visitor applications.
Chinese travellers are already among some of the highest spenders in the UK, splashing out on average £ 2,688 a head and preferring to use credit cards.
July 2016, showing a 4 % increase on the same month last year.
After a successful BHA campaign, the UK Government introduced a new twoyear visa in 2015, to improve the UK’ s
David Morgan-Hewitt, managing director of The Goring said:“ London is the greatest city in the world but it’ s lagging behind its European neighbours in terms of attracting Chinese tourists and it’ s time to take action.
“ Hoteliers want to capitalise on what is likely to be a much more mature market in five or ten years’ time, but we need to be proactive today.”
The‘ Think Tank’ included participants from many of London’ s high-end hotels, luxury retailers, representatives from Discover Financial Services and representatives from the BHA including chief executive Ufi Ibrahim.
The‘ Think Tank’ heard evidence that having dedicated Chinese and Mandarin speakers as well as Chinese TV stations; welcoming letters in Chinese as well as Chinese beer and noodles in the minibars all help attract visitors.
The consensus from all those who took part was that Chinese travellers will be increasingly interested in staying in five-star hotels, but not until the market matures, in five years at the earliest.