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Chinese tourists spending in UK surges
December 5, 2013, 10:48 am

[Getty Images]

The British government is set to launch a campaign to attract more Chinese travellers [Getty Images]

Chinese tourists are spending more than ever before in Britain with new data revealing a huge surge in the first half of this year.

Chinese visitors in Britain spent £181 million in the first half of 2013, up 132 per cent year-on-year, according to official statistics from the United Kingdom.

The British government is set to launch a campaign to attract more Chinese travellers.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller has said that Britain will become the most welcoming destination in Europe for Chinese visitors.

“The new ‘China Welcome’ initiative shows how serious we are about making sure Britain is ahead of the competition when it comes to attracting Chinese businesses and tourists,” said Miller.

The campaign will be launched in spring next year.

Miller said the programme aims to secure 650,000 Chinese visits a year by 2020, worth nearly £1.1 billion annually to the UK economy.

She also announced that Birmingham Airport and Chinese tour operator Caissa will work together from 2014 to increase the number of visitors Caissa takes to the UK through Birmingham Airport.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron on a state visit to China said he would push for more Chinese investment into the country.

“If you are investing in Britain, invest more,” he said.

“If you are thinking of investing in Britain, come and find us. You will get a warm welcome.”

China has the world’s largest domestic tourism market and outbound Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders worldwide.

The number of outbound tourists leaving China reached 37.92 million in the first five months this year.

Source: Agencies