Reception of Chinese groups. Attracting tourists from China to Russia. Love of shopping

1 North Caucasus Institute - branch of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation

The article discusses the problems of reception and service foreign tourists on the territory of the Russian Federation. The author paid special attention to guests from China. Interest in this market segment was not caused by chance. The latter is confirmed by the increase in the number of Chinese tourists in recent years in our country. The representativeness of this segment is associated with increased income and improved quality of life in the provinces of China, which leads to increased interest in travel. In connection with this fact, there is a need to improve the quality of services in hotel complexes taking into account the interest of tourists from China.

tourism and hospitality market

needs

interests

1. Sergienko A. B. Features of consumer behavior of Chinese tourists // Young scientist. - 2014. - No. 3. - pp. 538-541. [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://moluch.ru/archive/62/9601/ (date of access: October 21, 2016)

2. Chinese tour operators are going to get acquainted with Russia [Electronic resource]. - Access mode http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/1059.html (accessed October 15, 2016)

3. Almost half a million “visa-free” tourists from China visited Russia in 9 months of 2015 [Electronic resource]. - Access mode http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/1014.html (access date: October 15, 2016)

4. Every sixth tourist in Russia is from China [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/838.html

5. Tourism business news [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.atorus.ru/NEWS/press-centre/new/32291.html (accessed October 15, 2016)

6. Features of Chinese tourists in hotels [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/512.html

7. Features of the Chinese tourist for hotels [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://hoteladvisor.livejournal.com/78841.html

8. Came out first tourist map Moscow in Chinese with objects CHINA FRIENDLY [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: http://www.ruchina.org/china-article/china/816.html

The main consumers of tourism services in the international hospitality market include the economically active middle-aged population from 36-45 years old (28%). The policy of openness and reforms aimed at China's transition to a market economy have formed a middle class, to which managers, entrepreneurs, shareholders, and wealthy peasants belong. This segment of consumers is characterized by a lifestyle that involves significant expenses on cultural events, education, and entertainment. An important driving element of China's tourism flow is family. The peculiarity of the holidays of Chinese tourists is that 38% of tourists travel accompanied by family members and 20% with the whole family. The most representative tourists are those from Beijing, Shanghai, and Heilongjiang Province.

The specificity of travelers from China is such that most tourists travel on public holidays in the PRC, therefore the distribution of volumes of consumption of the tourism product is uneven. Currently, there are three “long” holidays in China - the Founding Day of the People's Republic of China (October 1-7), May holidays(May 1-5) and Chinese New Year(celebrated on lunar calendar, so the date changes every year). In this regard, one can easily make forecasts about a possible increase in tourist flow during these periods of the year.

Despite the increase in the number of people wishing to vacation outside of China, domestic tourism indicators in the country are still in the lead. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it is not customary for the Chinese to take vacations; often this option is not even provided for in the contract. If leave is taken, then most likely it will be unpaid. Since China has the largest population in the world, competition in the labor market is very high, and as a result, it is not difficult for employers to find new employees, but workers have to put in a lot of effort to first get a job and then keep it. Therefore, for the majority of the population, the only possible time to travel may be during one of the public holidays, and this usually does not exceed a week.

It should be noted that the “visa-free” tourist flow from China to Russia has come close to the half-million mark. According to the Travel Association “World Without Borders,” tourists from China made 480 thousand trips to Russia in the first 9 months of 2015 under the Agreement on Visa-Free Group Travel. During the same time, our fellow citizens made about 184 thousand tourist trips through the “visa-free” channel, which is 60% less than the results of the same period last year (461 thousand trips).

According to the association, tourists from China visit Moscow and St. Petersburg in 98% of cases during a single trip. The cities of the 2014 Winter Olympics are gaining popularity, where tourists get acquainted with such beauties as Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana, and Rosa Khutor.

There has been a significant increase in tourist arrivals from China and to Irkutsk region- from almost 10 thousand in 2014 to 15 thousand tourist trips in 2015. The growing interest of Chinese residents in vacationing on Lake Baikal is associated with the popularity of ecotourism in the Middle Kingdom. Direct flights contribute to the development of “visa-free” inbound tourist traffic from China and to Novosibirsk; there was an increase in the number of guests in 2015 by 168% compared to the previous year. Among the regions that are gaining popularity among Chinese tourists, we can note: Sverdlovsk region, which attracted the interest of about a thousand Chinese business tourists.

The growth of tourist flow from China is positively influenced not only by the possibility of traveling on visa-free group lists, which allows tourists to save time and money on paperwork. But most importantly, since last year, on the initiative of the Travel Association “World Without Borders”, a project has been launched to adapt tourism service facilities to the needs of guests from China Friendly. Tourists from China have already appreciated the benefits of staying in China Friendly hotels, noting the comfort of accommodation, location and attentiveness to the guests of the program participants.

If we analyze the tourist flow to Russia, it should be noted that Russia took second place in the popularity ranking among tourists from Turkey, from where almost 30 thousand tourists came to Russia, which is 20% more than last year’s results, third place went to Israel, more than 18 thousand . (+24%) whose residents visited our country in the first three months of 2015. However, the former leader in entry to Russia - Germany - was in 4th place, just under 18 thousand citizens of this country visited the Russian Federation, which is 5% less than the results of the same period in 2014.

Despite the trend of revival in the tourism market, it is worth noting that Chinese tourists are very specific and the receiving party should consider this fact with particular care in the process of meeting their needs.

Basically, infrastructure facilities - hotels, train stations, airports, trains, airplanes - face the peculiarities of receiving Chinese tourists. Some hotels in Europe refuse to accept tourists from China, since after their stay they often have to update the number of rooms and carry out minor cosmetic repairs. For example, many travel agencies in St. Petersburg strive to plan their tours and excursions so as not to interfere with Chinese groups. Otherwise, tourists from other countries will not see anything and will not be able to take photographs, since Chinese tourists will long time crowd around monuments.

And in the picturesque Swiss mountain resort of Mount Rigi in the Alps, local authorities and railway workers will soon launch special tourist trains, on which only guests from China will travel around the local area. This decision was a response to numerous complaints from passengers from other countries about the noisy and rude behavior of Chinese tourists. Indeed, Chinese tourists are accused of blocking train corridors, constantly congregating near the windows, which prevents other passengers from taking photographs, having loud and noisy conversations, and in addition, they leave a lot of garbage in the carriages. According to Blick, there have even been cases of other passengers' shoes being stolen. Despite the launch of special trains, tourists from the Middle Kingdom will in no case be deprived of the opportunity to travel on regular trains. Therefore, anyone who undertakes to serve the Chinese in Russia takes risks, trying to provide guests from the PRC with maximum comfort. For example, when catering, they are provided with separate rooms and Chinese dishes are specially prepared.

The appearance of information about special trains in China itself was called “discrimination.” Many mainstream Chinese media criticize the move, saying Chinese travelers are "bringing an economic boom for Switzerland." However, there are also reminders that this spring, Chinese tourism authorities have already warned their citizens going on holiday abroad that their uncivilized behavior negatively affects the country's image abroad. To reduce the number of such incidents, Chinese tourists were warned that their behavior "will be monitored through local tourism bureaus, the media and the general public" over the next two years. The Chinese authorities were prompted to take such measures by a resonant incident in 2013 with a Chinese student who scratched his name on the wall ancient temple in Luxor.

The unacceptable behavior of the Chinese is also reported by the aviation authorities of the PRC itself, who published an official warning for passengers in mid-August, reminding them how to behave on board and at airports. According to local media, in the first half of August alone, there were 15 attempts by Chinese passengers to open plane doors during takeoff or landing, as well as one case of in-flight arson.

Authorities warn that Chinese citizens “will be severely punished or prosecuted” for inappropriate behavior. In particular, we are talking about blocking actions or attacks on airport employees and crew members, illegal entry onto the apron or runway, destruction or damage to airport facilities, opening aircraft doors, damaging aircraft equipment, and transporting dangerous tools.

Despite all the claims that hotels and other accommodation places make, Chinese tourists are consumers with special requirements for hospitality and service.

When visiting another country, Chinese tourists strive for comfort and a familiar environment. Guests from China pay attention to the presence of a Chinese breakfast, a tea set in the room, electrical sockets or adapters that meet the PRC standard, as well as slippers.

The most pressing issue for tourists from China is related to the language barrier, so it is necessary to use signs and information materials in Chinese in hotels and other vacation spots, as well as in catering establishments. In the rooms it is advisable to ensure the broadcast of television channels in the native language of tourists, since these are important details for have a nice rest. In addition, as shown by the Chinese International Travel Monitor study conducted by Hotels.com. Almost 60% of Chinese tourists, when choosing a hotel, pay special attention to the ability to pay with China UnionPay cards, as well as the availability of free Wi-Fi in the hotel.

The most popular among tourists from China are 3- and 4-star hotels (28 and 29%, respectively). 5-star hotels attract only 17% of respondents. Moreover, 7% of respondents preferred the all-inclusive format. Motels and hostels combined are preferred by only 6% of Chinese tourists. Thus, we can conclude that tourists from China prefer a comfortable stay and have quite high demands on the hotel. In addition, it should be borne in mind that Chinese tourists pay great attention to the magic of numbers and the symbolism of color. Given this fact, hotels cannot provide floors and rooms where the number 4 appears and the color scheme is white. Chinese tourists do not bring personal hygiene products with them and, moreover, believe that they should be provided free of charge by the hotel. Chinese culture often implies the absence of street shoes in the house (just like ours), so the Chinese very often take off their shoes immediately upon entering the room and, as a result, disposable slippers are extremely necessary for guests. Hotels need to prepare the room in advance for tea ceremonies. The Chinese take tea with them, but the hotel needs to prepare napkins, a kettle and a place for drinking tea in advance.

The travel association “World Without Borders” has already developed a voluntary certification program for China Friendly Hotels accommodation facilities, which takes into account all the differences between Russian and Chinese life and allows guests from China to feel as comfortable in hotels in Russia as in their home country. Thanks to cooperation with experts from the China Friendly Hotels program, Russian hoteliers will be able to receive qualified advice on the characteristics of Chinese tourists and working with them.

For example, the French hotel chain Accor has already adapted 56 hotels in Europe to accommodate Chinese tourists. In Berlin, city authorities have opened a network of souvenir shops with a German theme designed specifically for Chinese tourists. Tourist authorities Many countries open special websites in Chinese. A separate group of problems is associated with existing differences in the culture of behavior and basic understanding of tourism between Chinese and European travelers. All this must be taken into account by workers in the tourism industry. In the process of developing a tourism product for Chinese consumers, one should turn to orientalists who can give more detailed information about the cultural specifics of the Chinese people and behavioral characteristics.

Especially for tourists from China, within the framework of the China Friendly project, a map of Moscow in Chinese was created, where the main attractions, train stations, airports, metro stations and others are marked. necessary for a tourist facilities, as well as hotels that are holders of the China Friendly Quality Mark. When compiling the map, the preferences of tourists from China were taken into account. According to the Travel Association "World Without Borders", the most popular among Chinese tourists in the capital are visits to Red Square (1st place) and the Kremlin (2nd place). The top three in the ranking is completed by Observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory.

According to the association’s rating, the Moscow Metro is one of the most popular attractions among tourists from China (4th place) - so that guests from the Middle Kingdom can independently explore the beauty of the Moscow subway, on new map Moscow is given a Chinese-language metro map. Marked on the map is the final top 5 popular among Chinese tourists, according to the Travel Association “World Without Borders”, Novodevichy Convent. Tourists from China come to the walls Novodevichy Convent to honor the memory of famous cultural, scientific and political figures; this is where the “Chinese Trotsky”, the leader of the CPC Wang Ming, is buried.

The tourist map of the city of Moscow in Chinese is distributed free of charge at all Moscow airports among tourists arriving in Russia under the visa-free group exchange agreement between Russia and China, in city hotels included in the China Friendly program and in tourist information centers.

Taking into account the segmentation of the Chinese tourist and focusing on the specifics of his consumer preferences, the tourist territories of the Russian Federation will be able to expand the infrastructure that will meet the interests of guests and, as a result, this circumstance will lead to an increase in profitability from tourist activities.

Bibliographic link

When you think of travelers from China, you imagine a large group of people in excursion bus with cameras and video cameras at the ready? If so, it's time to change the way we think about some of the world's largest and most economically important travelers.

Since the number of Chinese travelers traveling outside their home country is increasing significantly every year, it is worth paying special attention to the specifics of working with them. Let's highlight 5 different archetypes of tourists from the Middle Kingdom. Let's divide Chinese tourists into groups depending on their habits and behavior and make sure that the number of independent and ambitious travelers from China under 35 years of age has increased significantly.

1. Researchers. 25% of tourists.

Born in the 60s - 70s. They are inventive and optimistic, love to learn and explore, and plan their trip to the smallest detail.

2. Prudent family men. 25% of tourists.

Also born in the 60s - 70s. These travelers come from cities with a lower standard of living, are family people and prefer to relax with family and friends. They choose safe family hotels.

3. Lovers of comfort. 21% of tourists.

The vast majority of representatives of this type were born in the 90s. Unlike other groups, there are more women among them. They want everything around them to be aesthetically beautiful, and, as a rule, they try to find intangible satisfaction in travel. Good value for money is essential for this archetype.

4. Seekers of new experiences. 17% of tourists.

As a rule, they were born in the 80s and 90s and come from cities with a high standard of living. They enjoy luxury hotels and professional advice on local cultural events. Being independent and ambitious, they travel to gain new experiences.

5. Spoiled by position. 12% of tourists.

Born in the 80s, they travel to pamper themselves and demonstrate power and status to others. Most often they stay in five-star hotels and go on tours that involve risk.

According to Ipsos, a world leader in the field marketing research, Chinese youth spend 27% of their total income on travel, making them the most promising group. “The idea that Chinese guests only want Chinese breakfasts and require a Chinese translator is outdated. Our research shows that today's Chinese traveler is much more sophisticated,” says Abiram Chaudhry, vice president and managing director of Hotels.com Asia Pacific.

In 2015, Chinese travelers on average reduced their daily spending by 17% compared to 2014. This appears to be due to the downturn in the economy. Despite this, one third of respondents plan to spend more money on travel next year.

Chinese tourists spend an average of about 3,455 USD per year on travel, which is the largest figure in the world. Young people spend 27% of their total income on travel.

At the same time, the Chinese still spend the most on trips in the world (on average about 3,455 USD per year). Excluding living expenses, Chinese travelers spend most of their money on shopping, restaurants and attractions.

One of the main requirements of Chinese travelers to a hotel is the availability of free WI-FI networks. Currently, 45% of hotels surveyed already provide free Wi-Fi, and another 46% plan to provide it soon.

Having Chinese-speaking staff is no longer an important service for the Chinese. There is also an increase in the share of social networks (6%) as a source of information for travelers.

Thank you for your help in preparing this material for Hotels.com.

In 2015-2016, the number of Chinese tourists coming to our country increased sharply. Against the background of the collapse of the ruble and the rising standard of living in China, one would expect that the tourism boom would have a beneficial effect on the Russian economy. However, facts and assessments of experts who know the situation from the inside show that without active government intervention in this area, most of the income from receiving Chinese travelers will be sent back to the Middle Kingdom. Lenta.ru correspondent Yan Shansky looked into the details.

The year is not over yet, but it is already clear that the volume of Chinese inbound tourism to our country will break another record.

As in the case of Chinese migrants, no one can say for sure how many there really are. Statistics from the Federal Migration Service, Rostourism, Rosstat and industry organizations vary, but even without clear figures it is clear that there are many more of them. It is believed that in 2015 the number of Chinese visiting us doubled. The data from the World Without Borders association, which takes into account the number of tourists coming in groups, is relatively reliable: in the first half of 2016 alone, they counted 230 thousand people - 47 percent more than a year earlier. For comparison: in pre-crisis 2010, the total number of tourists for the year was much lower - only 158 thousand people.

The potential of this tourist flow is enormous. The population of China is large; the solvency of visiting Chinese, taking into account Russian prices, is beyond doubt. However, professionals involved in receiving tourists from the Middle Kingdom are far from optimistic. This is primarily due to the unpreparedness of our market: first of all, the state of the hospitality infrastructure and the lack of appropriate legislation. Current trends are such that the main income from serving Chinese tourists in Russia is in the hands of Chinese businesses, and the positive effect on the Russian economy is very limited.

Who is coming and how?

There is a certain regional specialization among Chinese tourists. Residents of border provinces, as a rule, travel to neighboring regions of Russia: Primorye, Amur region, Transbaikalia. Most often these are two-three-day shopping tours. How “attractive” our borderland is for Chinese tourists can be evidenced by the following fact: of the 5.5 million Chinese tourists who visited the border city of Manchuria in 2015, playing for their compatriots the “card of Russian exoticism” (they even built a copy of the cathedral in the middle of the steppe St. Basil's and the world's largest nesting doll), only 0.51 percent of travelers crossed the border to visit the Trans-Baikal Territory.

Guests from the central and southern regions of China travel mainly to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Both cities are visited within one group tour, designed for seven to nine days. It is group tourism that is the basis of the market. This is explained by the fact that only as part of a tourist group you can enter Russia without a visa, and by the fact that the Chinese are simply afraid to travel to our country on their own and without an interpreter. In addition, Russia has acquired the image of a country for the poor middle class, for whom it is more fun and somehow more common to travel in groups. Of course, there are also individual VIP tourists and hipsters traveling with a guidebook, but in general they can be neglected.

The tour program is standard and corresponds to the tastes and ideas of Chinese tourists. In St. Petersburg, the highlight of the program is the Hermitage, and the Chinese value it not for its art collection, but for its palace interiors. In Moscow there is the Kremlin.

Attempts by guides to drag the Chinese, for example, into the Tretyakov Gallery, are usually unsuccessful: the Chinese simply do not understand what to see there.

"Golden Ring", oh tourism potential which regional authorities like to talk about, also does not have much prospects. Without special knowledge of history and art ancient Rus' Numerous temples and monasteries seem completely identical to the Chinese and, frankly, not very interesting.

Numerous temples and monasteries seem exactly the same to the Chinese

All work on sending and receiving tourists is carried out by Chinese travel agencies. They are the ones who sell travel packages in China, and they also deal with accommodation, selection of places to eat and transport. All local work falls on representatives of Chinese travel agencies living in Russia, who often do not have any official status. In Moscow, Chinese citizens work as guides, sometimes they don’t even speak Russian. In St. Petersburg, the Chinese are forced to hire Russian translators who have a license to work in the Hermitage, but this is rather a happy exception. Everywhere in the regions, Chinese travel agencies and guides collect almost the entire “harvest” from the tour group.

Russian travel agencies in this scheme are needed only to issue invitations, without which visa-free entry groups is not possible. In fact, they have withdrawn themselves from servicing the Chinese tourist flow. Realizing the futility of competition with Chinese tour operators in the mass segment, some Russian companies are trying to develop the “piece” VIP segment.

Where and how do tourists spend money?

A Chinese tourist will have to spend most of the expenses on traveling to Russia in China. When purchasing a voucher, travel, accommodation and meals are paid for immediately, and practically at cost. The average cost of a trip for 7-9 days is 5-8 thousand yuan (50-80 thousand rubles now, 25-40 thousand rubles at the “pre-crisis” rate). A travel agency can afford such dumping, since it receives its main income from tourists during travel.

As a rule, food and accommodation are provided in the budget segment. For example, in St. Petersburg already this year Russian tourists faced the problem of a shortage of economy class hotels, since it was in them, and not in five-star hotels, that Chinese groups lived. Reservations are made a year in advance, which allows you to get big discounts, especially since almost all restaurants and some hotels, even registered to Russian legal entities, are actually owned by Chinese capital.

It is almost impossible for someone from the street to get into specialized stores for Chinese tourists.

A tourist travels to Russia without cash. For China, where even bank cards are already an anachronism, and most purchases are made using QR codes in the popular social network We Chat, carrying yuan or currency with you seems unimaginable.

As a result, almost all purchases are made using cards. All specialized stores where Chinese groups are transported are equipped with POS terminals of the UnionPay payment system.

These stores are registered legally, but it is impossible to get there from the outside. The security guard at the entrance will politely ask you to leave, citing a technical break or special maintenance. The main source of income is the sale of jewelry. The markup on gold items in such stores is up to a thousand percent. The most profitable business is selling fake amber. China does not have its own amber, so there is no one to understand it. A piece of plastic passed off by a guide as amber can cost up to 200 thousand rubles. Such purchases are still rare: the main demand is for simple crafts made from “amber” and inexpensive gold jewelry - pendants, chains, rings. Often several copies of the same product are purchased. This can be explained very simply: the tourist buys not for himself, but for gifts (for his wife, mistress, relatives, work colleagues). Products made of precious metals and precious stones Chinese tourists are not interested.

The revenue of such stores is up to 4-5 million rubles per day. They are not afraid of competition from outside, since all movements of Chinese tour groups are controlled by the operator, and the chances that a tourist will buy something outside these stores are minimal. Needless to say, all of them are controlled in one way or another by Chinese businesses. It is impossible to get into this area without being associated with it or without having partnerships, no matter how good the store with what prices you open. Guides simply won’t take tourists there.

The income from these specialty stores is the main interest of Chinese travel agencies. They take 30 percent of the profits from the amount spent by the groups they set up. Another 30 percent is collected directly by the Chinese guide. The remaining amount, minus the costs of renting premises, housing and communal services, salaries for Russian sellers and payments to various partners, remains with the Chinese businessman who controls the store.

What is not customary to talk about

One of the main problems faced by the Russian management of the store for Chinese tourists is the constant lack of cash. As already mentioned, tourists pay with cards, and kickbacks must be paid to the travel agency and guide in cash every day. From January 1, 2017, Russian banks, under the pretext of combating the financing of terrorism, will have the opportunity to block cash transactions. One expert believes that this will force businesses to go even deeper into the shadows. Stores will be forced to illegally install terminals of Chinese banks or cash out profits in the so-called “people's banks” in Chinese markets (for example, in Moscow it is Sadovod). A representative of this “bank”, having received a notification about the transfer of money to his account in China, will give the client the required amount in rubles. In this case, the most profitable transactions related to servicing Chinese tourists will completely escape the control of Russian authorities.

Tourists are served by representatives of Chinese travel agencies who do not have any status in Russia

Another source of significant income is the underground gambling business. The only legal casino aimed at tourists from China operates near Vladivostok and is owned by Hong Kong tycoon Lawrence Ho. The results of the first year of operation of the casino should be considered successful: there are Chinese visitors, and they bring in income. However, it is generally accepted that the profits of the underground gambling business in Russian capitals are much greater. This business is inherently criminal, and Chinese travel agencies prefer not to get involved in it. Therefore, the most profit from Chinese tourists in Russia comes from shadow businesses: casinos, striptease, underground brothels.

Chinese intermediaries receive a small income from tourists in the form of a kickback, but most of the profits remain in the hands of Russian establishment owners. According to local reports, prices for Chinese tourists are standard.

The Chinese client is disciplined and hassle-free, but he cannot be called generous. Walking until the morning with gypsies and bears is not about the tight-fisted Chinese middle class.

By the way, drinking establishments did not notice the tourist boom at all. Firstly, the Chinese are afraid to wear them due to safety concerns. Secondly, the format of Western bars is generally incomprehensible to them. The usual K-TV (karaoke in separate booths) and consummation are already appearing, but they are initially controlled by Chinese business or its Russian partners. For example, the Pujing (Putin Bar) bar appeared in Vladivostok. Formally, its name uses other hieroglyphs, but the portraits of the national leader hung throughout the establishment against the backdrop of birch trees and beauties in kokoshniks are very eloquent.

A Chinese tourist, having visited the Kremlin, the Hermitage and a striptease, considers his mission complete

The average Chinese tourist, having visited the Kremlin, the Hermitage and the striptease, having bought a set of gold chains and fake amber, considers his mission complete. A psychologically important barrier is the amount of 10 thousand yuan, into which tourists try to fit their entire trip (including the price of the trip). Since most of the money is spent in specialized stores, there is very little left for random purchases in the city (for example, souvenirs from stalls or chocolates in supermarkets) - that little thing that the bigwigs of this business can afford not to notice.

What will happen and what should we do

Now Russian companies They make money only on tickets, giving the main added value to the Chinese. Of course, we receive new jobs, taxes from the activities of legal hotels, restaurants and shops, orders for the production of jewelry and souvenirs. There is also a multiplier effect, since the same employees of Chinese companies, living in Russia, spend their salaries here. However, the Russian side does not control the service of tourist flow and is practically deprived of the opportunity to influence it.

The dynamics of processes in the market are such that Chinese business is seizing more and more resources, including using classic schemes of raider takeovers with the involvement of Russian organized crime groups and corrupt officials. Often, the Chinese come to an agreement with a Russian partner, who builds an enterprise (for example, the same store) from scratch, after which they “throw it away” or ruin it by opening the same store next door and letting in the entire flow of tourists there.

The situation will not change without regulation of the industry. Organizational chaos benefits only Chinese travel agencies and those who can extract some rent from collusion with them.

In order to bring order to this chaos, a law is needed regulating the reception of foreign tourists.

In particular, it should stipulate that only Russian citizens can work as guides. It is highly desirable to create a mechanism that allows them to be independent from the Chinese tour operator - this will increase the share of income from receiving Chinese tourists that remains in our country. And this applies only to the economic aspect, although there is an equally important cultural aspect that deserves special attention.

Organizational chaos benefits only Chinese travel agencies and those who can benefit from collusion with them

In the end, we need liberalization of economic laws and support for small and medium-sized businesses, which would allow us to create our own hospitality infrastructure, independent of Chinese capital, which could become an alternative to foreign tourist flows.

“Sinicization” of the space, which is being carried out very successfully in St. Petersburg, and intensive training of guides and interpreters are, of course, correct and important measures, but, unfortunately, they are practically not complemented by the promotion of tourism brands and the image of Russia in China itself. The current tourism boom is not the result of targeted actions by the Russian authorities, but of favorable market conditions. If the state of affairs remains this way, there is a real danger that the benefits that the current tourism boom promises Russia will pass by.

Moscow - a city that attracts many tourists, including Chinese tourists. Therefore, in the capital we organize excursions in Chinese.

Our guides - These are licensed professional guides in Chinese with many years of experience in the tourism industry. Our guides not only have an excellent command of the Chinese language and knowledge of the history and culture of the city, but also know all the intricacies of communicating with tourists and guests from China.

Excursions for Chinese tourists in Moscow include most interesting story a guide who will reveal the secrets of our city and talk about the features of the architecture of past times.

Chinese tourists will be able to evaluate beautiful monuments, a magnificent historical part of the great city.

For a more comprehensive sightseeing, you can create an individual route that allows you to cover all the interesting historical and significant, popular among tourists, modern places.

By ordering a tour in Chinese you receive

1. Well planned excursion program adapted for the Chinese tourist.

2. High-quality transport service, punctuality and courtesy of the driver and guide.

3. Optimal route visiting attractions, visiting museums without queues.

4. Convenient payment method.

Excursions for Chinese tourists in Moscow.

Excursion around evening and night Moscow for Chinese tourists.

Night tour of Moscow for Chinese tourists

Moscow... Chinese tourist on Red Square	Excursion. ★★★ An excursion accompanied by a professional guide in Chinese is a unique opportunity to get to know the capital in all its beauty and diversity, enjoy the city landscapes, and learn many interesting historical facts, and fall in love with this city forever! ★★★ We will drive along the famous embankments and streets historical city: Boulevard and Garden Rings, Kutuzovsky Prospekt; see the Bolshoi Theater and Manege, Stalin's skyscrapers, Arc de Triomphe, the golden domes of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the swan pond near the walls of the Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills, the building of Moscow State University, the Luzhniki stadium. ★★★ At the end of the sightseeing tour, you will walk along the famous paving stones of Red Square, see the multi-colored domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, and enjoy the splendor of the panorama ancient Kremlin from the Sofiyskaya embankment of the Moscow River. The duration of the excursion is 4-5 hours.
"Lights of Moscow" for Chinese tourists. ★★★ Excursion accompanied by a professional guide in Chinese – you will plunge into a sea of ​​luminous lights and learn all the secrets of the night capital ★★★ On the excursion you will see St. Basil's Cathedral, admire the view of the Kremlin from Sofia Embankment, the panorama of Moscow from the Sparrow Hills, visit the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Novodevichy Convent, Poklonnaya Hill, Novy Arbat, Tverskoy Boulevard, Theater Square. ★★★ We will start our tour of Moscow at night from the central part of the city, drive along the beautifully illuminated Garden Ring, and also look at all the main attractions of our beloved capital. The duration of the excursion is 3 hours.
Tour of Red Square for Chinese tourists Excursion around the Kremlin territory for Chinese tourists Excursion around the Kremlin territory for Chinese tourists	for Chinese tourists. ★★★ Heart of Moscow, main square city, located along the north-eastern wall of the Kremlin. Mausoleum, Place of Execution, St. Basil's Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, Historical Museum and other attractions make it the place where all guests of the capital first go. ★★★ We will start our walk from Manezhnaya Square, we will see a modern hotel, which was once the Soviet Hotel “Moscow” and was built under Stalin, we will look at the Manege building, which was built by the outstanding architect Osip Bove, the famous creator of the Bolshoi Theater. Let's go to the Alexander Garden and see the main Eternal flame, which is guarded by soldiers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and we learn that there are actually three gardens there. And, of course, we will visit Red Square itself with all its main attractions. The duration of the excursion is 2-3 hours.

Cost of sightseeing tour for Chinese tourist groups.

Price in rubles (₽) per person

A quarter of a million Chinese spent at least a billion rubles in St. Petersburg over the course of a year. The city did not see this money. Market participants talk about a small but strong mafia.

Alexander Petrosyan/Kommersant

By volume of Chinese tourist flow northern capital second only to Moscow and, of course, Far East. Over the past year, 225 thousand Chinese arrived in the city on the Neva only as part of a visa-free exchange. This May, according to tour operators, more than 15.5 thousand tourists from China visited Moscow and St. Petersburg. They check into hotels, walk, eat, buy souvenirs and jewelry. But their money does not end up in the city budget. Having swirled around in the shadowy St. Petersburg market, the yuan returns to the Middle Kingdom, and sometimes does not leave it at all.

Bill and tip - in China

There are dozens of restaurants in the city aimed at Chinese tourists. Even if we don’t talk about the small shops on the outskirts, only in the center are the “Chinese Yard” on Truda Square, “Tang Zhao” on Izmailovsky, and “Compass” on the Griboyedov Canal striking. Such establishments belong to the Chinese. This does not mean that a native Petersburger will not be able to get there, but special conditions Only a tourist from the Middle Kingdom who arrived as part of a group can expect payment. In Compass, for example, it turned out that money can simply be transferred to the card of a manager in China to pay for a future meal. The main thing is to do this in advance so that the card owner has information about the transfer of funds.

Apparently this is common practice. “They work according to the scheme: I feed your groups here, and in China let someone give this money to my sister,” says Victoria Bargacheva, head of the St. Petersburg Association of Chinese Language Guides and Translators. “It turns out cheap, sometimes about 30 yuan per person for lunch (about 250 rubles).” It happens that a group of 50 people is issued a check for 500 rubles, or even just something like an expense order. How this affects tax revenues to the budget is a rhetorical question.

Experts say it's all about the traditional tastes of the Chinese. “Once they can try something out of curiosity, go into a restaurant on Nevsky in a huge crowd, order a steak for each,” says Leonid Garbar, head of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers in the North-West. – But we are talking more about those who came from Hong Kong, Shanghai, that is open Europe cities, and not from a million-plus village. The rest will initially choose Chinese food and Chinese restaurants, especially if there are agreements with them in advance.” At the same time, according to Leonid Garbar, in general the tourist flow from the Middle Kingdom does not have an impact on the city’s restaurant landscape, and the expert does not notice the Sinification of the market.

According to Bargacheva, restaurants often keep something like exchange offices, where they exchange yuan for rubles. The emergence of Internet banking and development mobile applications made this service less popular. However, at one time, participants in the tourism market recall, in a restaurant near the Lion’s Bridge, tour leaders kept their funds, as if in a safe deposit box, not wanting to often carry cash across the border.

Opaque amber

The situation with souvenir shops is even more indicative. The host country, as a rule, again the Chinese, creates something like a cult of amber products among tourists. At least some of the jewelry comes to Russia from China: raw materials are purchased in Ukraine and Kaliningrad, processed in the Middle Kingdom, and then transported to St. Petersburg, where they are sold at a crazy markup.

The most visible specialized store is located on Obvodny, 108. The owner is the owner of one of the largest tour operators in China, Efensin, Han Te. The defense against strangers here is held no weaker than on Great Wall in the film of the same name with Matt Damon. The Fontanka correspondent was refused, under the pretext that this moment The store operates in corporate service mode. During a short conversation with the security guard, three orders had accumulated outside the store. tourist buses with guests from China.

It turned out no better with the Skazka souvenir shop on Aptekarskaya Embankment (owner Zhang Yu). Again, an unproductive dialogue took place with the security guard, who was clearly not ready for the appearance of a lone buyer. The correspondent was told that the empty store was being re-stocked, although it was difficult to notice from the general siesta atmosphere in the room. In addition, the security guard asked a question that was completely strange for retail: “Who told you about our store?” Economic theory is dry, and, apparently, for “The Fairy Tale” it is not advertising that is the engine of trade.

The daily turnover of large souvenir outlets in St. Petersburg owned by the Chinese can exceed 20 million rubles. At the same time, official reports show figures of several thousand, and in Smolny they know that stores do not issue cash receipts.

In addition, the same scheme is used as in restaurants: back in China, tourists leave a certain amount in the form of a kind of deposit, and in Russia they may no longer think about paying for goods. Lost budget revenues are difficult to estimate accurately. The relevant committee estimated that on average a tourist spends $40 a day on souvenirs. If we take into account that the Chinese spend at least two nights in St. Petersburg, 18 million dollars accumulate in a year - more than a billion rubles, which, in fact, have not left China. Approximately this amount may escape the attention of tax authorities. And this does not take into account restaurants and expenses.

Other Chinese stores - ranging from " Royal Palace" to "Tsar's Amber" were found on Blagodatnaya, Orlovskaya and Michurinskaya streets.

About 150 thousand people out of 225 thousand traveled from the capital to St. Petersburg. With their arrival in the city of Peter through Belokamennaya, their solvency drops, and on the spot it turns out that it is again Chinese restaurants and merchants who make money from tourists. However, according to the general manager and owner of the Helvetia Hotel, Yunis Teymurkhanli, hostels that accommodate visitors and premium stores also benefit. “The mass tourist from China is a “shuttle traveler,” says the expert. “He comes to buy everything he can make money on later.” It’s not for nothing that at DLT all price tags are duplicated in Chinese.”

Labor exchange

There is another interesting observation related to Chinese restaurants and shops in St. Petersburg - their activity in the recruiting market. It could either be talking about gray labor migration schemes or the true extent of the expansion of the Chinese Inland Empire in the city. Avinant LLC of Zhou Jingfang (restaurant "Compass") is looking for 24 employees, including 13 chefs, on the website of the city employment center. Three Chinese companies registered at Galernaya, 28, are recruiting 40 people. Hu Liqiang's Aurora LLC (Tang Zhao restaurant on Izmailovsky, 1), which requires 52 workers (38 cooks), has become even more widespread. Aurora itself explained its appetite by the expansion that began this year - in addition to Tang Zhao, they have a restaurant in the Gallery TG, and another one is being built in Peterhof.

In theory, the following scheme is visible. Vacancies open up with not the most favorable conditions (19-20 thousand rubles for each of the named positions). If the Russians do not fill these vacancies, there is a basis for applying for quotas for Chinese employees. In the future, these permits can be used depending on the company’s true plans: to transport friends, sell, and the like. The Committee on Labor and Employment emphasizes that a vacancy must remain unclaimed by Russians for 30 days so that the employer has grounds to apply. After this, an analysis is carried out, and if the conclusion is positive, officials issue permission to attract foreigners. Quotas for migrants from China, as they say in Smolny, are not chosen, and they themselves are being reduced - from 2,676 people last year to 1,460 in 2017. " Largest quantity workers in 2016 were attracted to the catering sector: chef, cook, catering manager and hotel services", the committee says.

Limitless monopoly

According to the agreement between Russia and China, tourists can enter for 15 days on visa-free lists in the amount of 5 to 50 people (Rosturizm proposes to allow this for groups of 3 people). Under the agreement, a specialized information system (SIS) was created, which grew out of a data exchange system between insurance companies (and still performs this function). It was initially developed and maintained by SK World Without Borders LLC (now EIK MBG). In March 2016, Rostourism signed a contract for 1.7 million rubles for services with another company - MVK Service LLC. Until the fall of 2016, Tatyana Vvedenskaya, the wife of the ex-deputy head of the Federal Tourism Agency Ivan Vvedensky, was listed as the founder. He is also the deputy head of the non-profit partnership World Without Borders, which bears the same name as the developer. Judging by SPARK, the director of the NP was also Irina Yartseva, who held the position of head of management of Rostourism.

Chairman of the Council of the Association for the Promotion of Russian-Chinese Tourism Yuri Tsurkan claims that for many years the segment of receiving Chinese tourists was practically monopolized, and even now newcomers are strictly recommended to join the NP if they want to get into the SIS and make money on the growing tourist flow. It was the partnership that developed which is now being implemented at state level, and also supports the introduction of a new escort specialty for Chinese groups. Fontanka's interlocutors from among the NP members associate Tsurkan's claims with an attempt to take as large a market share as possible.

“Our task is to avoid any associations,” says the head of the St. Petersburg tourism committee, Andrei Mushkarev. – No one is obliged to work through them, as well as to get into a specialized information system, this is simply not spelled out in any regulatory document. Now we are launching the process through our city tourist center, where it will be possible to draw up lists for receiving tourists, we will apply for them.”

In total, according to Rostourism, almost 1.3 million guests from the Middle Kingdom came to Russia in 2016, their number increased by 15%. The head of the inbound tourism department of the KMP company, Alexander Maklyarovsky, believes that only 15% of the Chinese tourist flow can be called transparent, the remaining 85% is in the shadows. “A strictly defined circle of companies of Chinese origin work with them, withdrawing money back to China,” says the expert. – Tourists are sold quasi-cheap tours, but these packages do not include many things that have to be purchased on the spot. As a result, they bring more money than “expensive” tourists from Australia or Brazil, but not to the Russian state, but to those who provide this opaque system. This is harmful to the professional community. In fact, the market operates systems that are closed to themselves, let’s say, small peaceful mafias for now.”