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The Rise of the Chinese Tourist

As only 7% of Chinese people currently have passports, the number travelling overseas is expected to rise.

Visitors from the country make up the largest travel market in the world. As only 7% of Chinese people currently have passports, the number travelling overseas is expected to rise.

In the UK, there's a growing demand for native British guides providing tours in Mandarin for Chinese tourists. Andrew Speake is a tour guide, who was inspired by his time living in China. We meet some of his guests over a pint of beer and a selection of pies in a traditional English pub.

And while most destinations welcome the influx of money the tourists bring, not everyone welcomes the disruption. Alex Scheutz, the mayor of Hallstatt in Austria, says residents there have complained about the noise from tourists using filming drones.

Given the huge growth in Chinese people travelling to Europe, we discuss concerns about overcrowding with Professor Wolfgang Arlt, director of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute.

(Picture: Tourists taking selfies at an aqueduct in Segovia, Spain. Credit: Getty Images)

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18 minutes

Last on

Thu 6 Sep 2018 07:32GMT

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  • Thu 6 Sep 2018 07:32GMT

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