Above: More tourists from China are taking in the sights of the U.S., including the New York Stock E

Above: More tourists from China are taking in the sights of the U.S., including the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall National Memorial in Manhattan, where George Washington took the oath of office as president. Top: Tea is offered to Chinese travelers at the W New York Times Square hotel.
Now arriving on U.S. shores in unprecedented numbers, thanks to a streamlined visa process and a rising Chinese middle class, the tourists are being treated to the comforts of home when they check in at the front desk. That means hot tea in their rooms, congee for breakfast and Mandarin-speaking hotel employees at their disposal.
travel packages in europe Chinese "welcome programs" at reputable chains like Marriott and Hilton even address delicate cultural differences: No Chinese travel packages in europe tour group should be placed on a floor containing the number four, which sounds like the word for death in Mandarin.
travel packages in europe "They're very relieved, travel packages in europe like finally somebody's doing these things that make sense," said Robert travel packages in europe Armstrong, a sales manager who handles all bookings for incoming Chinese travelers at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. "Finally somebody's catering to them."
In a striking departure from the traditional Chinese business traveler, a growing number of them are simply coming to America for fun with lots of cash on hand. (The average Chinese visitor spends more than $6,000 per trip.)
"They drink tea," explained Charlie Shao, president of Galaxy Tours, a New York City-based Chinese tour agency, who used to frequently request special amenities for his clients. "They don't walk inside the room with bare feet."
It's rare that Shao has to ask hotels for anything anymore. Marriott International, for example, now offers not one but several travel packages in europe Chinese breakfasts, depending upon which region the traveler hails from. There are salted duck eggs and pickled vegetables for eastern Chinese, travel packages in europe for example, and dim sum and sliced pig's liver for the southerners.
Major chains are also training employees to avoid cultural missteps that would offend a Chinese visitor. Superstition is a big one: Red is considered a lucky color, along with the number travel packages in europe eight, which signifies wealth. travel packages in europe White is frowned upon, not to mention the cursed four.
"We try to make sure nobody's on a higher travel packages in europe floor than their boss," Armstrong said. "Even if the boss is on a beautiful suite on the eighth travel packages in europe floor, if the assistant is in a standard room on the 38th floor, it doesn't translate."
Last year, Starwood Hotels which has a Chinese travel packages in europe "specialist" at each American hotel relocated travel packages in europe its entire senior leadership team to China for a month. The Ritz-Carlton rotates general managers and other hotel staff into its Chinese hotels for three-year stints at a time.
"It's important for our leaders to understand what's going on there at a more personal level than just the statistics," said Clayton Ruebensaal, vice president of marketing for the Ritz. "Everybody's going after this market because of the sheer volume of luxury customers. At the same time, it's a very crowded travel packages in europe landscape."