Brief overview of how businesses can serve the Chinese Consumer in the Middle East, digital marketing implicated

1. Understanding the Chinese Tourist Implications for the UAE Alexandra Tohme 2011

2. Outbound tourism 2009 Chinese travellers spent $4bn more OVERSEAS than at home Forecast to rise to $6bn by next year China is now ranked 4th in terms of foreign tourist spending Alexandra Tohme 2011

3. The consumer journey Typically, the first trip is to Hong Kong, then perhaps Korea, Thailand, Japan or Malaysia Once happy, more trips further afield Luxury purchases abroad are a big part of consumer spending There is status associated with being able to travel overseas and come back with suitcases full of luxury goods Alexandra Tohme 2011

4. The importance of Dubai UAE achieved ADS in September 2009 The UAE recently has been one of the hottest destinations for Chinese people A five-day trip to the UAE from China costs about 5,000 yuan (Dh2,688) with airfare Alexandra Tohme 2011

5. Some figures 2008 – 96,300 Chinese visitors to UAE 2009 – 150,000 2010 – 82,000 in first 6 months Chinese visitors represented 7% of The Monarch Dubai’s total number of guests in 2009, compared with 1% in 2008 Alexandra Tohme 2011

6. UAE hotels and people targeting Chinese DaraPinke– HR director for Movenpick Hotels and Resorts HagopDoghramadjian– GM for Rocco Forte Hotel Arshad Hussain – Director of Sales and Marketing for Fairmont Bab al Bahar, Abu Dhabi Alexandra Tohme 2011

7. Here and There Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has opened three offices in China in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou The increasing number of Chinese visitors has prompted the Louis Vuitton boutique at Mall of the Emirates to recruit Chinese staff Alexandra Tohme 2011

8. The importance of digital The Internet has become the most important medium for the country’s growing number of tourists to plan vacations While most Chinese visit traditional travel websites for research, they are likely to finalize their itineraries via interaction with other netizens on social networking platforms, Alexandra Tohme 2011

9. Online advertising Online advertising, however, is also having more influence on Chinese travelers than advertising in more traditional mediums, like television and print Almost 70 percent of those surveyed remembered seeing travel ads on the Internet Alexandra Tohme 2011

10. The opportunity Less than 2 % of the total destination media expenditure goes to Internet advertising Every day the Ctrip online travel forum receives 2 million page views, and the destination exploration channels receive 1.1 million page views Alexandra Tohme 2011

11. Nielsen reports Alexandra Tohme 2011

12. Converging strategies Target Chinese consumers online during “information gathering” mode Enhance with on-site comms at Airport and Hotel Deliver Chinese language mobile apps for points of interest and translation Ensure data capture for follow up Alexandra Tohme 2011

13. What’s next? Future presentations to highlight case studies Outline of multiple stakeholders Discussion of Digital opportunity at Arabnet 2011 Feedback / Questions to alexandratohme@gmail.com Alexandra Tohme 2011