How to get Chinese tourists to spend with you

Did you know it’s the Year of the Rat in 2020? In Chinese culture, rats are a sign of wealth and surplus. The new year is the perfect time to think about how you can attract more Chinese tourists into your business. Read on for inspiration and ideas about how to win them over. 

Chinese tourists love spending Down Under

In 2018-19, 1.4 million Chinese tourists touched down in Australia. On average, according to Tourism Australia, each of these tourists stayed about 13 nights and spent about $4,500. 

The question is, how do you tap into this lucrative market? How do you get your #australianmade experience or product in front of tourists who are keen to try a little slice of Australia, or take it home with them?  

Whether you’re selling a unique Aussie adventure, you have a range of delicious dishes in your restaurant, or you’ve crafted a bespoke product that you think Chinese tourists will love, your goal is to lure them to your business, make them want to spend, and get them talking about it afterwards.  

Pave the way for Alipay

With your Chinese marketing plan in place, you need to prepare your business for the influx of tourists keen to spend in-store.  

Step one is to set up your point of sale system to accept Alipay, the #1 payment option for Chinese nationals. In fact, 99% of Chinese tourists have the Alipay app on their phone and use it all the time at home. It’s no wonder that a common question Chinese tourists ask their tour guides is, “Can I use Alipay in Australia?”  

Using Alipay in Australia is made simple with Tyro. If you’re Tyro EFTPOS customer, you can contact your Account Manager or our Customer Support team at 1300 966 639 or cs@tyro.com for more info. 

Once you can accept Alipay, you might have some questions about how it all works. Check out our Alipay FAQ for more info here. Taking an Alipay transaction is simple, but it helps to familiarise yourself with how it’s done beforehand to make things easier for you and your customer.   

It’s important to ensure your customers know you can accept Alipay payments. A great way to do this is to have the Alipay logo displayed prominently in your store. New Tyro customers receive branded Point of Sale and entrance door stickers that display all the types of payments accepted by Tyro machines, including Alipay.  

Quick tip:  
In Chinese, Alipay is called Zhīfùbǎo. 

Make tourists feel welcome

Step two is to break down in-store barriers. Learn the basics of Mandarin. A simple “Nǐ hǎo nǐ hǎo ma” (Hi, how are you?) can put travellers at ease and make them feel welcome. If you have price lists or labels in-store, consider adding a column that translates into Chinese or have a separate price list ready for them.  

Give them something to talk about 

Finally, don’t forget the power of word-of-mouth marketing. You want every Chinese tourist who steps foot in your store or restaurant to share the experience with their friends and family.  

“Going to Sydney? You simply have to go to [your store] … their customer service was amazing!”  

“Visiting Melbourne? We went to [your restaurant] and their desserts were fantastic.” 

Never waver in your commitment to customer service. Before, during, and after the sale, treat every customer like a king or queen. Make them feel special and they’ll do you a favour by spreading the word about your store.  
 
You could come up with fun ways to encourage Chinese tourists and spruik your brand. Pop a thank you card in their bag, with a little nudge to #saytheword about your business to their friends. Where possible, encourage photos of your product, food or experience and the posting of these to social media – these kinds of endorsements can do wonders for your brand awareness. 

Ready to go? Set up Tyro and Alipay today 

Chinese tourists will want to know if Alipay is available in your Australian store. Make it possible with a Tyro EFTPOS machine.  

Not a Tyro customer yet? Get started today