On another thread, we've talked about the potential impact on tourism of the opening and operation of Dragon Mart, Cancun. It seems reasonable that there will an uptick in visitors from China, but I'm curious: where do the Chinese tend to stay, when they book the hotel zone? Which are the hotels, and AIs that are the most popular with them?
Not sure about the HZ, but I meet Chinese visitors on a daily basis here in Centro. A lot of them stay at Gaby Suites Hotel(across the post office at M28), various hostels and on Nader(across the street/behind Mega). Only ever met one Chinese family at an AI... But then again, I rarely go to those anyways, haha.
They will stay in the cheapest places you can find. Also will eat in the cheapest places. However most of the Chinese tourist will not come from China. They will come from the US, Cuba, etc.
gabesz: Seems like being smart with ones money these days is a vise thing to do Most tourists Ive met, aim for the cheapest when it comes to everything, regardless where in the world they are from. Having worked with both English, American, Canadian and Scandinavian tourists before, that certainly is the case. I try to look for the best deals when I travel, but I wouldnt let a few dollars/pesos/crowns/yen (etc.) let decide whether I eat "x" or "y". Im yet to meet anyone who simply doesnt care about how much a trip/dinner/event costs.
I remain unsure of Dragon Marts impact, or lack of impact. Which will it be? I have friends who import things from China for resale and they might now be competing with their own suppliers.
Actually there are quiet a few groups of Chinese that do tours of the Yucatan. The company my husband works for has a chinese guide that accompanies them .They dont stay in all inclusives, they come to explore the culture and yes they spend money and yes they are from China.They even have a bus that is adapted for the chinese market.Its hoped and predicted that the tourist market from China will be huge.
I guess some people have been disappointed with some Chinese products, but I've been buying things made in China for years without suffering ill effects. Things come from so many different places, nowadays, you may have some Chinese products in your house, unawares; for example, I have a Sony TV and Home Theater. Neither was made in Japan. The TV was "made in Mexico", the sound system, "made in China". They get along just fine together.... _______________________
I do not disagree that tourists like to find the best deals possible for both rooms and food. However the Chinese have the knack of getting even better than those deals by sharing rooms which are meant for 4 for up to 6-8 people to save money. They have no issues sleeping on the floor or wherever to save money. They also share their food to no end so a party of 6 orders for 2 and then shares everything. Although this is a great idea in theory, it makes the restaurants, hotels, etc. suffer for loss of business from such people.
I have eaten at Chinese restaurants in the US, where if you go after the "normal" US lunch time, there will be 12 of them sitting around a table, just shoveling the food in, from common plates, bowls, whatever. I think it is just a way of life for their culture. As to V's comments, it is hard to "Buy US" when you can get China for a fraction of the price, without a terrible dropoff in quality. To my way of thinking, we can thank the labor unions for high labor costs that pass on to the consumers. We are going to have a real mess with all of our debt to China is the US electorate don't do something gov't spending, and soon. It is up to the voters to force change. Oh, don't get me started. Sorry I started out on a tangent. I do try to Buy American and do try to Avoid Chinese, but it can't be done 100% of the time unless I want to go broke.
