Because it wants to be the brand of choice for Chinese travelers around the world, Spanish hotelier Meliá Hotels International has launched a new welcome program catering to Chinese tourists, it announced today.
Entitled "Pengyou" -- Mandarin for "friend" -- the new program will infuse Meliá properties with Mandarin-speaking hotel staff, China Union Pay card acceptance, Chinese language TV channels, Chinese breakfast, translated materials, a tea station, slippers, free Wi- Fi, and cup noodles in the minibar. Further, hotel staff will receive special training to educate them on expectations of Chinese travelers and how best to meet their needs.
"In 2014, over 100 million Chinese tourists traveled overseas and this is expected to double by 2020. Their spend whilst travelling was the highest when compared to other travelers, vastly outperforming U.S. tourists, who were in second place," Meliá, which has a pipeline of 15 new hotels set to open in China by 2017, explained in a press release. "It is for these reasons that Meliá is focusing on its footprint and brand awareness in-region, as well as international appeal to outbound Chinese travelers."
Pengyou already has been successfully implemented at three hotels: Meliá Madrid Princesa, Meliá Barcelona Sarria, and Meliá Nassau Beach. By 2016, it will be activated across 80 international hotels in key markets, including Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
"Chinese tourists in Europe have steadily increased in numbers in the last few years and Europe is particularly appreciated for its landscape, culture, and rich history. The Schengen Agreement, which allows access to 26 European countries, makes Europe an attractive choice for Chinese visitors due to ease and visiting multiple countries in one trip also provides status amongst their family and friends at home," said Meliá Hotels International Vice Chairman and CEO Gabriel Escarrer. "As a leading hotel group in Europe we recognize that there needs to be a strategy in place in order to further attract Chinese travelers to our hotels, providing them with expert knowledge of their chosen destination and a service and experience that meets their expectations when traveling away from home."
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