Next Wave of Camera-Wielding Tourists Is From China

When millions of Japanese began to travel abroad during their country’s economic boom in the 1980s, hotels around the world introduced Japanese-style slippers to their rooms while restaurants created menus adapted to Japanese tastes. More than 20 years later, the international tourism industry faces a similar challenge – this time catering to the rising number of Chinese visiting foreign countries. As the Chinese economy continues to flourish, the country’s citizens flock to popular overseas destinations in record numbers, with 31 million people traveling abroad in 2005. Popular destinations include Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Russia, Thailand and the US. While service sectors in receiving nations scramble to provide new Chinese-language assistance, local travel agencies in China issue brochures to give their clients a crash course in foreign manners. More middle-class Chinese are leaving the country for the first time, promising the greatest wave of international travelers in history. – YaleGlobal