ChinaOB Daily, Weekend Edition: Taiwan, Thailand, Mexico, U.S.

Editor’s note: This week we’ve started a new daily roundup of news — ChinaOB Daily— affecting outbound business, for countries trying to attract Chinese travelers.

• Eight things you should know about Chinese travelers: If you present yourself as a global brand in China, you need to ensure your customer service is global too. It really becomes an uncomfortable dilemma for the Chinese traveler when they have to choose between a better priced item that is 20 percent lower overseas but comes with no warranty once they bring it back home…
• Chinese tourists spending less on visits abroad?: An increasing number behave more prudently when buying overseas, accounting for a sharp decline in the purchase of high-end products…according to the Annual Report of China Outbound Tourism Development 2013, the percentage of Chinese travelers who spent more than 5,000 yuan on their outbound trip was lower in 2012 than in 2011.
• Thailand sees big increase in Chinese visitors this year: Thailand attracted more than 8.8 million foreign visitors between January and April…Tourists from China accounted for most of the foreign visitors at 1.53 million, up 92.8 per cent from the same period last year. K-Research expects the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand this year to reach between 3.8 million and 4 million, compared with 2.76 million last year.
• Taiwan to issue multiple-entry visas to Chinese travelers: Taiwan has decided to issue multiple entry permits for well-heeled Chinese tourists from Aug. 1 as part of its efforts to reinvigorate the sluggish domestic economy…it will also be granted to high-caliber professionals in China’s educational, creative and cultural sectors.
• Mexico wants its share of the Chinese tourism juggernaut: Chinese President Xi Jinping will spark a mass influx of tourists from China, the world’s largest tourism spender. But officials say it’s still a long way before Mexico can capitalize on the opportunity.