THE completion of the Qinghai Yushu Airport in 2014 is expected to boost international air connections and foreign arrivals to the Chinese province.
Qinghai Tourism Administration director, Wu Dawei, said: “The current lack of international direct flights into Qinghai has limited the growth potential of international arrivals. Entry is only via Shanghai or Beijing, which the average longhaul visitor considers inconvenient. We are hopeful that the larger new airport will attract bigger jets that fly international routes.”
According to Wu, Qinghai attracted mostly special interest international visitors, drawn to the natural and cultural attractions, with the US, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Japan as the biggest source markets for the segment.
Attractions include Qinghai Lake, Mengda Nature Reserve, Anyemaqen Mountain and Ta’er Monastery, built in 1577.
“We regularly handle small groups from Japan that visit during the flowering season, and bird-watching groups are also common,” Wu said.
“Hotels in Qinghai are all domestic brands, which are fine with the domestic market and niche international segment.
“But to grow international arrivals beyond the nature and culture segments, international hotel brands are needed. Brands such as Shangri-La, Kempinski and InterContinental have expressed intentions to set up properties in Qinghai,” he said.
The Qinghai Tourism Administration has stepped up international marketing efforts, hoping to improve tourism infrastructure.
Apart from participation at international travel marts such as the PATA Travel Mart and IMEX, the bureau is also attending government-led trade shows and its own roadshows in Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia.
