If you had to organize a (business) trip to China, how would you find your service providers? (Car rentals, hotels, travel agencies, translators, tour guides)
Would you:
A. Browse the classifieds? (which ones?) Craigslist, OLX, Kijiji, Galaxy?
B. Ask someone who is already in China? (how would he know?)
C. Google it? (what key words/phrases would you use?)
D. Others…
Answering will provide a very useful info, to those who want to market their services to the right people via the most appropriate channels. Please contribute.
Much appreciated,
Janko Kosi
Answers (11)
For car rentals, hotels and air tickets, you can use Ctrip.com. It is very convenient. Maybe ask them to recommend you for other purposes.
I am traveling in China now. Let me know whether you need more help.
Abasse A
International Business Development Executive at Zurich World Travel Protection
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I have used China International Travel Services (CITS), which has offices around China and provides comprehensive support and services for travelers, including car rental, hotel reservation, travel arrangements, guides, etc.
Adrienne S
Travel Specialist at Rubinsohn Travel; Travel & Tourism Consultant
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Janko,
The answer is "D" -
I depend on the CNTO (China National Tourism Office). They have a list of both certified China travel specialists and registered, licensed tour operators. Never, ever do I want to be in a situation where I contract for services and find out too late I've been scammed or my client's wronged.
Asking someone in China may be fine, it you are sure you are getting the proper information. That may not always be the case. Organizing a business trip can take a lot of coordination and a friend or an acquaintance might not have all the expertise or connections needed.
When one needs professional help, I say go to the pros. Might it cost you a bit more? It might seem so in the beginning, but going cheap always costs more in the long run.
I have been a Certified China Specialist for many years and I found their course and continuing information very valuable. That is the reason I depend on them for information.
Links:
If I had to choose one answer I'd go with B, however that would not tell the full story. Much will depend on; where you intend to go, the services you require, your budget and whether you can read Chinese.
Your destination:
If your sticking to the main cities, your choice of both hotels and other services will naturally be greater. You'll also benefit from easier customization and greater buyer power. Go on a feasibility study to some far flung region and things may become harder. That said, as China becomes more accustomed to foreigners and their needs, travel in China whether for business or pleasure is becoming easier year on year. Additionally, its common to use one of the provincial cities as a base where your hosts can then arrange for visits to any areas of interest such as potential factory sites.
The services you require and your budget:
In the end, the variety of services, personalization and costs are almost infinite. If your looking time is tight, the itinerary complex and the budget generous opting for a specialist China business trip company to organize all the details is probably the way to go. Lists of these companies can be found through search engines, local ex-pat magazines, word of mouth or your Embassy of Camber of Commerce.
If your budget is not so forgiving, fear not. With a little research the cost of organizing a business trip to China doesn't need to be extortionate. To keep the budget down the best resources are personal connections and local (to your destination) ex-pat magazines.
Can you speak Chinese?
The ability to speak and write Chinese will help in more ways than one. First, it will allow you to use Chinese internet sources to search out cheaper alternatives to the services you require. Second, it goes a long way to reduce the likelihood of being scammed!
The Alternatives
As for classifieds, they have their uses but beware, scams are common. Possibly a better option is to make use of the local Expat magazines, especially if you intend to visit one of the larger cities. For example, Beijing: www.thebeijinger.com, www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/ Shanghai: www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/ http://shanghai.asiaxpat.com/travel/
Being more focused, the ads and services listed on these sites tend to be more relevant and substantial user feedback helps in choosing the right services for your needs. Another benefit is the number of freelance services available. For example, this works well if your looking for a translator, where you can easily find a very competent translator who is both flexible with their availability and often open to negotiations on already reasonable prices. Moreover, the prices of services advertised are often substantially cheaper than those advertised on Google by Western firms operating outside China. That said, prices are usually higher than what a local would be able to achieve which brings me to the point of using personal contacts.
Personally, I've always found the advice from friends with local knowledge and '关系' (connections) to be invaluable. They are often be able to provide first hand information or willing to call on someone in their network to help you.
As for Search engines, they have their uses but in my opinion they usually come second to personal contacts and local Expat websites. However, if you want to cross-check with search engines, go beyond the standard Google search and try using Baidu (www.baidu.com), it often produces more relevant search results for China based products and services.
I've added some further links in the 'web resources' section, I hope they will be of some use to you.
Regards,
Nick.
Links:
Nicholas' answer is very comprehensive. I am a former ex-patriate who lived in Shanghai for three years. Usually the conceige of all the major hotels should be able to speak english, know how to assist you in finding transportation, translators, tour guides etc.. Taxi's are usually reasonable you might want to do that instead of driving yourself. I find tripadvisor.com is a good source to see what hotels, etc. other people recommend.
Good luck
Do you also require mobile communications?
Hey! Janko,
I am actually live in China, I am not sure which part of China, you are going to visit, but if there is anything I could do for you! please feel free to let me know! I used help many foreigners to organize trips mostly in Yunnan Province! when you have time, you can visit our website:
Links:
Saul F
Made in Osaka Electric Cars: Nihon Denki Jidousha or "Japan Electric Motors" (JEM) : SEEKING PARTNERS
Best Answers in: Sales Techniques (1)
For China and for many countries and cities that I do not know well, I look at the meetings I have scheduled, and choose 1-2 people from my contacts for those meetings, and ask them to recommend hotels and local transportation. Often enough, they ask if they can pick me up at an airport, train station, etc. and escort me to their office, my hotel, or a dinner with them.
As a matter of fact, by doing this in my last jaunt to Taiwan, I was able to squeeze in two meeting and a late dinner - on the Sunday afternoon that we arrived in Taipei! It also allowed be to fit more meetings into each day.
Plan and organize your trip before departure. Only minor adjustments when you are there. I suggest the D) factor.
CNTO, a recommended choice as Adrienne has kindly mentioned it. But, you need to engage with people in different areas of arrangement.
There are field consultants available of locals and expats, and a small price to pay considering the nature of importance, who can assist.
I was asked to plan twice for EC Associations for business trips to China relating to the same industry as I was engaged in at the time. I have been told later on they had many frustrations and time-waste when they organized it themselves. As it was their first and a ‘specialized business trip’, the concluded arrangements were a mess from day one.
Just ensure you have Plan A, and Plan B as backup.
B+C
Nothing beats good old fashioned research. I have been to china on multiple occasions and lived there for well over a year. Doing your own research means you will be better prepared and less chances of those little nasty surprises.
My experience is, there is nothing like browsing travel websites and reading information from people like you who have gone through the experience. Read hotel reviews, and collect your own info.
I also tend to not trust the travel agencies. I have delt with CYTS here in the US as well as the travel agencies in China. My problem is this:
What you may consider as being nice or acceptable will likely be very different from a Chinese. They may suggest a nice hotel, but when you arrive, its not what you expected. Tours and agencies usually mean you give up a lot of control and allow yourself to get lead around. Some people dont mind, but i like to be in control of my activities and schedule. Planning your own travel also means more control of your money. Many chinese look at foreigners as being rich and will not have your best interest at heart. Things can get expensive very fast if you leave the decision making to someone else.
If you have someone in the country that you know and trust, and they are willing to take the time to help, then that's a great option. Just be careful about people you dont know well, you are likely to loose your wallet.
A quick little tip, If you pay a little more and stay in a nice hotel, you will have many resources available to you such as travel, concierge,taxi/private car, etc. Many will have English speaking associates, and even if your not a guest, many will still allow you to use services such as travel.
And once again, this is just the blunt and honest opinion from someone who has experienced the good and bad.Not meant to offend anyone. Cheers.
Links:
Clarification added 1 month ago:
Oh and I dont recommend driving yourself around unless your suicidal. =)
There is a fired travel agent who is promoting a book on how to save big time on airfare, accommodations, car rentals and more! Add me to your contacts and email me if you want more information on this or, I have included his website in the web Resources for you!
