Please log on to the Global China Chat with Sam Flemming today at 5PM Beijing time, and then again at 11PM Beijing time. Sam will be discussing the internet and social networking sites in China, as well as online marketing and consumer feedback.

Don't forget to log onto the China Speakers Bureau's Global China Chat with Sam Flemming on the internet as a marketing tool in China. The chat will be held at 5PM Beijing time on Thursday, May 14th, and then again that same day at 10PM. Sam Flemming will be presenting on the internet in China and its increasing importance as a marketing tool. Participants are encouraged to log on with questions for Sam, as the chat will be held as an open forum. Registration for the chat is now open and can be accessed at the following link: http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/blog/2009/04/global-china-chats-on-social-networks.html. Additionally, questions for Sam Flemming may be sent in advance to Fons Tuinstra at fons.tuinstra@china-speakers-bureau.com.

Sam Flemming is a co-founder and the current CEO of CIC in Shanghai (http://www.cicdata.com/). CIC is the leading Internet Word of Mouth (IWOM) research and consulting firm in China. CIC is at the forefront of Chinese digital culture, helping brands in China such as Pepsi and Nike to understand how Internet Word of Mouth can be used to impact marketing communications, product research and development, and public relations.

Recent articles by Sam Flemming can be found on Sam's IWOM blog:

Who Is Really Holding the Megaphone: http://www.seeisee.com/sam/2009/03/30/p864

The fact that IWOM platforms are open to such great commercial influence is a key difference between social media in China and in the West. In China, consumers can voice their opinions, but ultimately it is the community owners who control the megaphone’s volume and the on and off switch. In western markets, consumers are more in control.

More Thoughts on China Digital and Social Media: http://www.seeisee.com/sam/2009/04/15/p992

China has more bloggers (162 million) (see full stats here) and more places online to be social than any other market in the world. China’s penetration rate is a relatively low 22.6%, but social participation rate is very high. Forrester’s China technographics study, for example, shows that Chinese “creators” account for 40% of netizen population compared to just 13% in the US.

Consumer Day and the Internet Community: http://www.seeisee.com/sam/2009/03/15/p695

Once again, Consumer Day in China is here (March 15). Crisis 2.0 is nothing new to us in China, but it remains a powerful example of how the Internet Community is reshaping the relationship between brands and consumers...Consumer Day is the day that consumers are encouraged to share their customer service complaints (and perhaps kudos, but you don't see much of this). Consumer Day stories are featured prominently in mainstream media, and PR managers live in fear of this day. The big picture is that the Internet Community is reshaping the relationship between brands and consumers. For PR/reputation management, this means that “With so many platforms to communicate about and amplify brand experiences, one could say that everyday is Consumer Day in China.”

Link: http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com

Global China Chat with Sam Flemming

The China Speakers Bureau will be hosting its next Global China Chat on May 14th with Sam Flemming, co-founder and CEO of CIC in Shanghai (http://www.cicdata.com/). CIC is the leading Internet Word of Mouth (IWOM) research and consulting firm in China. CIC is at the forefront of exploring Chinese digital culture, helping brands in China such as Pepsi and Nike to understand how Internet Word of Mouth can be used to impact marketing communications, product research and development, reputation monitoring and public relations. CIC utilizes proprietary Chinese language text mining technology to provide customized reports and insights for companies based on systematic analysis of tens of millions of BBS and blog posts online.

The online chat will focus on the following issues:
* Differences between the internet in China and elsewhere in the world
* How Chinese consumers are using the internet to make their voices heard
* How businesses can leverage marketing ideas from consumers online

The live discussion will be held twice in order to reach audiences in different time zones. The first Global China Chat will focus on Asia and Europe and will begin at 4PM Beijing Time (9AM UCT, 11AM CEST). The second discussion will focus on our audience in Europe and the Americas, beginning at 5PM CEST (11 AM EDT, 8AM PDT). The chats will be hosted by Fons Tuinstra of the China Speakers Bureau, and moderated Maria Trombly and Krista Bolles from Trombly Ltd.

As noted on the CIC website, “Sam has been interviewed and quoted extensively on topics related to Chinese digital culture, social media and the Internet by media sources worldwide including Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and Bloomberg TV. He is also a frequent speaker at well-renowned branding and marketing events throughout the world, such as such as Open Web Asia ‘08, The Economist's Fifth China Branding Roundtable and Ad Tech. Sam was also invited to host an Interactive China series on iTV Asia and writes a regular column on IWOM dynamics for Imediaconnection. Sam is highly respected by China's Internet industry experts and is considered the leading pioneer of IWOM in China with his ‘China IWOM Blog’ being seen a ‘must read’ source for timely information on IWOM, PR and Internet marketing in China.” (http://www.cicdata.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=84&lang=en)

Participants may register now at http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/blog/2009/04/global-china-chats-on-social-networks.html

Questions for Sam Flemming may be sent in advance to Fons Turnista at fons.tuinstra@china-speakers-bureau.com.

Link: http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/blog/2009/04/global-china-chat-on-tourism-transcript_05.html

As rising cities such as Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are aggressively promoted as tourist destinations within China, the number of visitors to the capital Beijing has recently decreased. According to China Daily, the number of tourists to Beijing fell by 11 percent-- to 436,491-- in January and February of 2009, as noted by Gu Xiaoyuan, Deputy Chief of Beijing Tourism Administration. This decrease is due in large part to the drop in tourists from Japan and South Korea, which have represented close to half of the inbound travel market in past years. In addition to the economic crisis, other factors such as concerns about food safety in China seem to have deterred visitors from abroad.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/regional/2009-04/10/content_7666346.htm

Now, different and fresh, more exotic places,such as Guizhou and Yunnan are becoming increasingly trendy and adventurous tourist destinations. With a rapidly growing middle class, more and more people of varying ages are acquiring the means to travel; in turn, less traditional destinations and tours are being created to cater to China’s increasingly diverse tourism market. While China’s major cities Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai remain the greatest tourist draws, adventure travel to more remote, less-trodden areas of the country that can offer a variety of outdoor activities, interaction with nature, wildlife viewing, and are home to China’s many minority populations, are becoming increasingly popular and mainstream; this is especially true for China’s younger generations of travelers. Travel expert and businessman Roy Graff noted in the Global China Chat last week, “ On the whole, the main attractions are still Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, and then Guilin. But, there are many attractions that are easier to get to now more than ever, like Sichuan (Chengdu, Jizhaigou, Wolong), Yunnan (Shangri-la, Dali, Lijiang, Xishuangbanna), Guizhou.
These places are no longer just for the super adventurous, although travel to them does require more time and patience.” http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/blog/2009/04/global-china-chat-on-tourism-transcript_05.html

Other new frontiers that may require more planning but can be well worth the extra effort, according to Graff, include Xinjiang, Tibet and the Silk Road—all on the western side of the country: “Watch Western China carefully. After the earthquake, tourism to Sichuan and nearby provinces was hit, but it is now coming back...Sichuan and Yunnan have so much to offer to the tourist in therms of scenery, minority cultures, food, and the weather is pretty good. Guizhou and Gansu are not very developed and offer very good insight into the ‘other’ China.”

Link: http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/blog/2009/04/global-china-chat-on-tourism-transcript.html

In case you missed it, the Global China Chat on China tourism with Roy Graff is now available online at the China Speakers Bureau’s website:
http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/blog/2009/04/global-china-chat-on-tourism-transcript.html

http://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/blog/2009/04/global-china-chat-on-tourism-transcript_05.html

Roy Graff is an expert on China travel and founder of ChinaContact, an online resource containing tourism information and services for China. Roy is also a member of the China Speakers Bureau. With a bachelor’s degree in Chinese and Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Roy has successfully bridged China tourism consulting with various travel and hospitality ventures in China, including a flagship forum on tourism in China, “China the Future of Travel,” held annually at the World Travel Market in London.

According to Roy, tourism is a rather new and fragmented sector in China that has not yet matured. Thus, early entrants that are able to establish personal and professional relationships and make long-term business commitments in the tourism industry stand to benefit greatly. China's tourism economy is already having a significant impact on the global tourism industry. Roy predicts that by 2020, China will become the single largest source of international tourism and the number one travel destination, while having the largest domestic tourism market in the world. In 2008 alone, nearly 45 million Chinese traveled abroad. http://www.chinacontact.org/index.html

Outbound Tourism:

In 2008 there were approximately 46 million cross-boarder travels from mainland China. The Chinese government is pushing to increase, and even double, the amount of outbound tourism in the next few years. Nevertheless, the growth rate for China’s outbound tourism market will undoubtedly be affected by the global recession. On the up-side, the growth rate will likely continue to increase, just at a slower pace; it may decrease from say 12-18% down to about 8-10%, Roy predicts. Relative to other countries, China’s outbound tourism market is doing quite well.

Common hindrances to outbound travel are other countries’ visa requirements. It is often difficult for Chinese to acquire visas, particularly to European and North American nations. And, while the Chinese are now free to travel to Western countries, a privilege largely limited to government officials in the past, international travel is still revered as a luxury available to a lucky few.

Regarding business operations, while there is an increasing number of opportunities for foreign firms involved in China’s inbound and outbound travel markets, many regulations still exist. Foreign firms are not allowed to operate outbound travel companies in China. However, this does not necessarily mean that foreign firms need to jump into joint ventures anymore. Other options include representative offices, WOFE as a consulting or technology company, or establishing an inbound travel company and waiting for two years to acquire an outbound travel license.

Inbound Tourism:

In contrast to China’s growing outbound tourism market, inbound tourism, although of a larger volume than China’s outbound travel market, has decreased substantially due to a number of factors such as the Beijing Olympics, the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, and unrest in Tibet. There has been a particular decrease in tourists from developed countries in the west, who are now traveling less and to destinations closer to home.

Some up-and-coming travel destinations in China include areas in the southwest, such as Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. Travel to Sichuan has slowly begun to recover since the 2008 earthquake, and both these provinces have a lot to offer visitors in terms of minority populations, scenery, and food. For those interested in a glimpse of another side of China—a less developed side—Roy suggests Guizhou and Gansu. Roy also recommends Xinjiang and Tibet, although travel to these destinations is often more difficult and requires assistance from travel agents. China’s major cities, Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, are still the biggest draw for domestic and international tourists.