Current location:business >>
Gatwick Airport aims to win more friends in China
business62People have gathered around
IntroductionFILE PHOTO: Passengers are seen in a check-in area at Gatwick Airport, in Crawley, Britain, Nov 27, ...
FILE PHOTO: Passengers are seen in a check-in area at Gatwick Airport, in Crawley, Britain, Nov 27, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
A senior figure from one of the United Kingdom's busiest airports is flying to China next week with an eye on making major inroads into the country's huge international tourism market.
Stephanie Wear, vice-president of aviation development at London Gatwick Airport, will be at the ITB China trade show in Shanghai from Sept 12-14, making the case for why London's second airport should be the first port of call for visitors from China.
Situated 45 kilometers south of central London, Gatwick served 18.5 million passengers in the first six months of this year, a 41-percent increase on the same period in 2022.
China Eastern Airlines and Air China currently fly to Gatwick, from Beijing and Shanghai, and Wear wants to get the word out that Gatwick is not only open for business, but is a better option than West London rival Heathrow.
"One of the big challenges we face is a lack of awareness — people automatically assume the only way into London is via Heathrow, but that's not true. In fact, we have lots of advantages which make for a better passenger experience," she said. "95 percent of our passengers get through security in less than five minutes, and from our newly-renovated train station, in 30 minutes, you can be at either Victoria or London Bridge, which is proper Central London, unlike Paddington, which Heathrow serves."
According to the Simple Flying website, Gatwick was the ninth-busiest airport in Europe in September, with Heathrow second, and Wear said it wants to build on that.
"We have all the facilities and infrastructure, and a credible growth plan — when you look at that and the growth speed of the Chinese market, Gatwick's a viable option."
China has long been a major target for Gatwick's expansion, and Wear said that as the travel sector continues its post-pandemic recovery, this is something it is keen to develop further.
"As soon as we heard that China was reopening for travel, I think we were the first UK airport to go and speak to Chinese carriers," she said. "We wanted to talk to the right people, make sure they understood the opportunity at Gatwick."
Wear said China has always been a priority market, and that is certainly the case now. That market is based on relationships, which take time to build, so her job is to keep Gatwick at the front of people's minds.
"Every time an airline chooses to fly to you, that's a flight they're choosing not to make to somewhere else, so we want to ensure they keep wanting to put their planes into Gatwick."
Wear will be in Shanghai for four days, and hopes to speak to as many of the major industry players as possible.
"A huge part of the Chinese market is done through tour operators, so my aim is to establish relations with key players and make sure that we build a good business case for Gatwick," she said.
"London is one of the largest travel markets for China in general, so we need to establish where London sits in their individual strategies, and then see how we can fit in Gatwick into those strategies."
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Global Gestures news portal”。http://comoros.adventistmissionjapan.org/news-37c599930.html
Related articles
OpenAI pauses ChatGPT voice after Scarlett Johansson comparisons
businessNEW YORK (AP) — OpenAI says it plans to halt the use of one of its ChatGPT voices after some users s ...
【business】
Read moreAltay: Birthplace of Skiing
businessContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【business】
Read moreHoping for a World Without Illness
businessContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom ...
【business】
Read more
Popular articles
- Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
- Young American Sharing Traditional Chinese Culture with World
- Bringing History of Women Red Army Soldiers to Life
- RJ Barrett helps hurting Raptors past Hornets 111
- Mystery artist who erected signs comparing pothole
- Leading a Village's Transformation
Latest articles
Independent UN experts urge Yemen’s Houthis to free detained Baha'i followers
Volunteer Work Enriches Family's Happiness
Altay: Birthplace of Skiing
Experiencing Charm of Peking Opera While Cycling in Beijing
What a blast to work at NASA. Space agency is sky
Experiencing Charm of Peking Opera While Cycling in Beijing
LINKS
- RCEP to bring more vitality and certainty
- Chinese youngsters embrace more diversified tourism options
- China is source of growth and innovation: says Danone CEO
- Inside the race for the world's first MILE
- China's industrial output up 6.7 pct in April
- China abolishes mortgage floor rates, cuts minimum down payment ratios to boost property market
- Nepal's prime minister wins confidence vote in parliament, his fourth since taking office
- Iraqi parliament fails to elect new speaker
- Exclusive: How a Nigerian king who Harry hailed as one of his 'new in
- Olivia Rodrigo fans queue up for 12 HOURS to buy tickets for her Australian Guts 2024 tour amid sky