Manchester’s direct connection to mainland China

29 April 2016

The city of Manchester and the North West region are set to embrace an exciting phase of UK-China engagement with the launch of the direct flights between Manchester and Beijing on 20 June.

The city of Manchester and the North West region are set to embrace an exciting phase of UK-China engagement with the launch of the direct flights between Manchester and Beijing on 20 June.

The additional 20,000 visitors as a result of this service mean business opportunities for many of the regional tourism operators like hotels, retailors, museums, tourist attractions stretching to the border of Scotland. This also offers easy access for thousands of students studying in the North West universities, business visitors and tourists. As part of marketing Manchester initiatives, the Manchester United and the Manchester City will play a match in Beijing in July.

The Halle Orchestra will be touring Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan in July as well. Manchester, as a gateway to the largest concentration of national parks (the Lake District, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors, the Northumberland), is best positioned to offer the unique experience for Chinese visitors in leisure and sports, arts and culture, food and shopping.

The Manchester Airport will offer tax free refund services to thousands of visitors and have services signs in Chinese. Many retailers are adopting UnionPay, which surpasses Visa restrictions as the most used payment method. This means job opportunities for Chinese speakers and those who understand the culture and are prepared to meet the needs of Chinese.

The Institute is working actively with Manchester Airport, museums and local guides to put Manchester firmly on the map for Chinese visitors.

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