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數(shù)據(jù)顯示，英國(guó)為吸引中國(guó)游客所做的努力，導(dǎo)致今年4月至6月赴英旅游的中國(guó)游客同比增長(zhǎng)33%。
英國(guó)國(guó)家統(tǒng)計(jì)局(Office for National Statistics)表示，今年第二季度，6.4萬名中國(guó)內(nèi)地人走完簽證申請(qǐng)流程來到英國(guó)。
該局表示，盡管中國(guó)游客人數(shù)有所增長(zhǎng)而且人民幣相對(duì)英鎊升值，但中國(guó)游客在英支出下降了6%，至1.51億英鎊。
旅游業(yè)高管們多年來將目標(biāo)對(duì)準(zhǔn)中國(guó)游客，他們平均每人支出2688英鎊（是大多數(shù)游客的4倍），并且在英國(guó)逗留10個(gè)晚上——赴英游客平均逗留時(shí)間是6個(gè)晚上。
去年，英國(guó)政府斥資160萬英鎊，發(fā)起了一場(chǎng)為一些英國(guó)地標(biāo)征集中文名的活動(dòng)。例如，Sherwood Forest被命名為“俠盜林”，Cerne Abbas Giant則被稱為“白色大裸奔”。
今年，英國(guó)財(cái)政大臣喬治·奧斯本(George Osborne)撥出130萬英鎊，啟動(dòng)一項(xiàng)邀請(qǐng)中國(guó)游客在線分享旅行照片的活動(dòng)，活動(dòng)時(shí)間從10月26日持續(xù)至圣誕節(jié)。英國(guó)政府希望會(huì)有1億中國(guó)人關(guān)注活動(dòng)結(jié)果。
各種各樣的活動(dòng)取得了一定成功。過去5年里，中國(guó)游客在英年支出額增長(zhǎng)了326%，如今達(dá)到4.975億英鎊。
但在中國(guó)旅游市場(chǎng)蓬勃發(fā)展的背景下，上述數(shù)字不算大。今年中國(guó)出境游人次預(yù)計(jì)超過1.2億。中國(guó)游客的前五大出境游目的地都是亞洲國(guó)家和地區(qū)，法國(guó)、意大利、瑞士和德國(guó)則躋身前十大目的地之列。
相比之下，英國(guó)國(guó)家統(tǒng)計(jì)局的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，今年第二季度，赴英旅游的游客有740萬來自歐洲大陸，有近100萬來自美國(guó)，15.2萬來自印度。
世界旅游業(yè)理事會(huì)(WTTC)總裁戴維·斯科斯?fàn)?David Scowsill)表示：“英國(guó)應(yīng)對(duì)中國(guó)商務(wù)和休閑游客予以重視。想象一下，如果英國(guó)政府更積極地簡(jiǎn)化中國(guó)游客的簽證流程，將會(huì)對(duì)英國(guó)零售和酒店業(yè)以及整個(gè)經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)生多大的推動(dòng)。”
斯科斯?fàn)柋硎?，英?guó)沒有加入歐盟的申根區(qū)，這種劣勢(shì)可以通過提供在線簽證流程、使游客無需在領(lǐng)事館外排長(zhǎng)隊(duì)來抵消。英國(guó)也可以簡(jiǎn)化簽證流程，在申根簽證申請(qǐng)中包含對(duì)英國(guó)簽證的申請(qǐng)。
他說：“我們督促英國(guó)政府更全面地考慮這個(gè)問題。在旅游市場(chǎng)排名中，中國(guó)人僅將英國(guó)排在第34位，令人大跌眼鏡。”
其他問題包括禁止中國(guó)留學(xué)生在英國(guó)工作的嚴(yán)格規(guī)定，以及缺少長(zhǎng)期簽證。美國(guó)將10年期簽證作為頒給中國(guó)游客的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)簽證，而英國(guó)的是1年期簽證。（中國(guó)進(jìn)出口網(wǎng)）
UK efforts to attract Chinese tourists resulted in a 33 per cent year-on-year rise in arrivals between April and June, according to the latest data.
The Office for National Statistics said 64,000 mainland Chinese had made their way through the visa application process to come to the UK in the second quarter.
In spite of the increase and the renminbi strengthening against the pound, their spending fell by only 6 per cent to 151m pounds, said the ONS.
Tourism chiefs have spent years targeting tourists from China who spend an average of 2,688 pounds each — four times more than most visitors — and stay for 10 nights compared with an average of six.
Last year, the government spent 1.6m pounds on a campaign to give Mandarin names to some UK landmarks. Sherwood Forest, for example, became "Forest of Chivalrous Thieves" and the Cerne Abbas Giant the "Big White Streaker".
This year, George Osborne, the chancellor, launched a 1.3m pounds campaign from October 26 to Christmas that will ask Chinese tourists to share pictures of their visit online. The government hopes that 100m Chinese will see the results.
The various campaigns have had some success. During the past five years, the amount spent each year by Chinese visitors has increased by 326 per cent to now stand at 497.5m pounds.
But the number is low in the context of the boom in China's travel market. More than 120m Chinese are expected to travel abroad this year and while Asian countries are the top five destinations, France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany round out the top 10.
By comparison, the UK received 7.4m visitors from continental Europe, nearly 1m from the US and 152,000 from India in the second quarter, according to the ONS.
David Scowsill, president of the World Travel and Tourism Council, the trade body, said: "Chinese business and leisure travellers should be important to the UK. Imagine the boost to the UK retail and hospitality industries and the economy in general if the UK government was more progressive with visa processing for Chinese consumers."
The disadvantage of being outside the EU's Schengen single-visa bloc could be offset by offering an online visa process, sparing visitors long queues at consular offices, said Mr Scowsill. The UK could also allow a simplified process that included a UK visa on a Schengen application.
"We urge the government to think much more radically about this issue. It is extraordinary that the Chinese rank only number 34 among the top markets in terms of visits to the UK," he said.
Other issues include strict rules barring Chinese students in the UK from staying on to work, and the lack of a long-term visas. The US has introduced 10-year visas as standard for Chinese visitors, wheras the UK's default is one year.
