UK: Serviced apartment operators are seeing a major boost in Chinese visitor numbers, according to a recent report.
The article, in China Daily, said many Chinese visitors to the UK are avoiding hotels and favouring serviced apartments.
Gavin MacLennan, general manager of Lateral City Apartments in Edinburgh, said nearly 25 per cent of its guests are from China, compared to five per cent in 2013 when the property first opened.
“Serviced apartments are very well suited to the Chinese market,” he said. “They provide room for more guests, allowing larger groups to travel together. More space also means more room to relax, which is a big draw for guests from China who tend to be on longer stays than those from the UK. Longer-stay guests can cook for themselves – a big plus for our Chinese guests looking for a home from home.”
Joyce Cawthorpe, ASAP marketing manager, said: “Several of our members have experienced a very significant increase in business from China last year, averaging out at 20 percent. Chinese guests are now the largest overseas market for luxury serviced apartments.”
A recent VisitBritain report shows overseas visits from China during the first six months of 2017 were up by 47 per cent compared to last year – to a record 115,000. Spending was also at record levels, at £231 million pounds, which was up 54 per cent on the first six months of 2016. Each Chinese visitor spent more than £2,000 pounds on average.</p
