On 21st February VisitBritain co-hosted the All-Party Parliamentary China Group's (APPCG) Chinese New Year Reception on the Terrace of the House of Commons.
VisitBritain Director of Strategy and Communications, Patricia Yates, addressed MPs, Lords, and tourism businesses at the event on the importance of tourism from China. Also speaking at the event were the Chairman of the APPCG, Richard Graham MP, China-Britain Business Council Deputy Chairman Graham Cartledge, along with Guests of Honour The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for International Trade, and H.E. Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the UK.
Richard Graham MP, Chairman of the APPCG, welcoming guests
"Trade between our two countries is already worth more than £59 billion and China is expected to be one of UK's largest foreign investors by 2020"
Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for International Trade
"British culture has enormous appeal to the Chinese people. The Premier League and the British TV series and films such as Downton Abbey, Harry Potter and Sherlock have a large number of fans in China."
H.E. Liu Xiaoming
"For our Chinese guests who come to enjoy our culture, our food and drink and our creative industries are more likely to invest and do business with Britain."
Patricia Yates, Director of Strategy and Communications, VisitBritain
Richard Graham MP with Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire, and Patricia Yates, VisitBritain
Peter Wragg, Chairman of VisitWiltshire
For every 22 visits from China to the UK, one more job is created in Britain's tourism industry.
Visits from China to Britain have more than doubled during the last 10 years.
Between January and September 2017 there were a record 268,000 visits from China to the UK - up 33%.
Between January and September 2017 Chinese visitors spent £557 million in the UK - a new record.
Tourism is worth £127 billion a year and is the UK's third largest service export.
