Welcome Chinese

Another goal is to help global hotels/resorts, museums, amusement parks, transportation hubs and all other sightseeing and tourist destinations to reach China's market through promotional activities.

A new marketing strategy was being developed at that time, with single hotel chains like Preferred,[1] Hilton,[2] Marriott,[3] Accor,[4] and InterContinental[5] independently starting their own programs to cater to Chinese visitors.

These programs range from guaranteeing Mandarin-speaking staff at the hotel and providing Chinese-style breakfasts to accepting UnionPay credit cards.

[11] At that time, the Certification was divided into three levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold – according to the quality and number of services that tourism businesses can guarantee to Chinese guests.

First business plans for the medium term, with the aim of developing and adapting the standard towards restaurants, airports, museums and shops were considered shortly afterwards.

It was the first time that a rail company or a hub – the Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport in Rome – got the award after introducing services aimed at Chinese travelers.

Among the panelists, attended Dai Bin, President of CTA, and Jasem Al Darmaki, Deputy Director General at Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA).

This was made possible thanks to new services that AdP, the society that manages the hub, have introduced to make the transit of Chinese travelers through the airport more comfortable.

[21] In April 2015, during the COTTM B2B travel fair in Beijing, Welcome Chinese announced a new partnership with InterContinental Hotels Group, bestowing the Gold Certification to 83 of its structures on opening the way to further cooperation.

[22] On the same occasion, the Red Certification of Trenitalia, the first railway company in Italy for the transportation of people and wares, was made public, together with Maurizio Del Santoro, Director of Global Marketing.

Previously, another amusement park, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi - belonging to Farah Experiences LLC - received the Red Certification.

The same year saw the beginning of a project called “DeltaPo”, aimed at developing the area of Po (river)’s delta as a whole destination, with consideration for the natural, cultural and commercial aspects.