International Tourism Destination Plan & Marketing Strategy for the Expatriate Market, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China
In partnership with: Shandong Culture and Tourism Commission, Jinan Culture and Tourism Bureau, Shandong University
Context
With support from the Shandong Culture and Tourism Commission, UN Tourism has been collaborating with the Jinan Culture and Tourism Bureau to prepare an International Tourism Destination Plan for Jinan City as well as a specific Marketing Strategy to attract expatriates living in China to Jinan City, benefitting from Jinan’s prime location between Beijing and Shanghai and its good accessibility by bullet train. The International Tourism Destination Plan had been completed in the first semester of 2024, upon which the formulation of the Marketing Strategy was launched and completed in the first semester of 2025.
The International Tourism Development Plan set out a vision that by 2034, Jinan it will be an unmissable international destination, celebrated for its welcoming atmosphere, exceptional Chinese heritage, distinctive culture, and pivotal position as a hub for knowledge, innovation, and sustainability, catering to the diverse demands of both leisure and business travellers from both domestic and international markets.
The Marketing Strategy for Expatriates provides a strategic orientation and implementation blueprint to position, market and promote Jinan City as a ‘must visit’ destination for foreigners living in Beijing and Shanghai. It is presumed that by increasing awareness of Jinan as an ‘authentic’ tourist destination within easy reach of China’s political and commercial centers, there are opportunities to attract foreigners residing in China, as well as their visiting friends and relatives. Capturing and attracting this market will set in motion a trend of increased visitations to Jinan by international visitor markets.
For the development of the Expatriate Marketing Strategy, onsite meetings and consultations were held in Jinan with public and private stakeholders as well as in Beijing and Shanghai with organizations and experts having ample experience and insights in the expatriate travel market in China. In addition, a survey of select expatriates living in Beijing and Shanghai was conducted to understand travel behaviours and attitudes, and desk research was carried out to obtain further insight in the expatriate travel market in China. The outcomes of the field and desk research were presented in the situation analysis chapter of the strategy, that formed the basis to formulate ‘actionable’ recommendations for promoting Jinan to expatriates living in Beijing and Shanghai, presented in a detailed three-year action plan for the Jinan Culture and Tourism Bureau.
Highlights
During the UN Tourism mission, the Marketing Strategy for the Expatriate Market was formally presented at the final project review meeting with the Jinan Culture and Tourism Bureau. The meeting also served to agree on the format and agenda for the awareness raising seminar to present both the Jinan International Tourism Destination Plan and the Expatriate Marketing Strategy to a broad group of tourism professionals from the public and private sector.
The awareness raising seminar was held on 26 June and attended by about 80 key stakeholders from the Jinan tourism sector, who received a comprehensive presentation on both the Tourism Plan and the Marketing Strategy. A detailed presentation was delivered on the results of the survey among the expatriate market in Beijing and Shanghai, showing that nearly 80% of expatriates frequently travels within China, but only 9% had visited Jinan in the past year. Natural scenery and historical sites were mentioned as the main motivations for expat travel. Although Jinan has these assets, they seem not yet well known in the expat market. Proposed actions to attract more expatriates to Jinan include promoting Jinan on English websites in China, e.g. SmartShanghai, TheBeijinger; active use of international social media better and partnering with WeChat channels targeting expats; inviting English-speaking bloggers and influencers; and hosting events and festivals to attract first-time visitors.
Tourism professionals actively participated in interactive sessions on the role different stakeholders can play to develop and promote tourism in Jinan, in particular for the expatriate market. Participants highlighted the potential and interest to promote Jinan among international schools and universities in Beijing and Shanghai, position Jinan as a leading MICE destination as well as an ideal weekend break for visitors from nearby larger cities, and work with tour operators to create new packages for visitors. The authentic and friendly character of Jinan with a unique network of natural springs and many other cultural and natural heritage sites were seen as strong factors to build on when attracting tourists to the City. The seminar participants expressed their appreciation for the new Jinan Tourism Plan and Marketing Strategy and showed great enthusiasm to collaborate with the Jinan Bureau of Culture and Tourism to develop and promote Jinan as a leading international tourism destination in China.
Stay Tuned
The International Tourism Destination Plan and Expatriate Marketing Strategy prepared for Jinan were the most recent projects carried out by UN Tourism in Shandong Province within the framework of an active collaboration in the past ten years with the Provincial Culture and Tourism Commission that started with the development of the Shandong Tourism Master Plan for 2016 - 2025. Other joint activities in the past decade include the preparation of Marketing Strategies for Shandong Province targeting the Japanese, South Korean and West European source markets, technical advice on tourism planning for Muping and Changdao Districts, and active collaboration on two International Senior Tourism Conferences organized in the City of Yantai.
Recently, Cities in the Province have expressed interest to receive technical assistance from UN Tourism to prepare a new World Class Tourism Plan and an International Marketing Strategy, which may result in a continuation of the long-term engagement of UN Tourism on tourism development and promotion in Shandong Province.