Experience a Virtual Tour @ Vintage Shaoxing Guidebook
BTI publishes English Guidebook for Shaoxing
December, 2009

The Shaoxing Tourism Commission and Belle Tourism International (BTI) have announced that a new guidebook entitled “Experience Vintage Shaoxing - A Guidebook for Travelers” will go on sale from next year.

In 2008, in perhaps one of the most innovative tourism initiatives, the Shaoxing government commissioned the writing of an independent, fully-researched, English guidebook. BTI, experts on China inbound tourism marketing, were asked to research, write, and publish a comprehensive guidebook for visitors. With international events such as the Shanghai 2010 Expo, World Choir Games 2010, and International Korfball Federation World Championships in 2011, all taking place, it was decided that to assist visitors from abroad, a guidebook available overseas, written by native speakers of English who had had extensive first-hand experiences in Shaoxing would be produced.

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BTI, as an international tourism and destination marketing consulting organization, created the 25@100% Vintage Shaoxing Experiences event, where 25 people from across the globe had the chance to enjoy all the experiences on offer in Shaoxing. This allowed Shaoxing to understand better which attractions appealed to international visitors and to get feedback. It also allowed the guidebook to have many different viewpoints and input. Following this, a team of three authors, Professor Alastair Morrison, Patricia Castro Robert, and Ewan MacRae, visited Shaoxing several times to focus on the task of creating the guidebook.

Some information previously collected was available on the Vintage Shaoxing website http://www.VintageShaoxing.com however, in order to write the 428-page guidebook, and create English maps – a first for Shaoxing – several research trips were needed.  Following several months of writing and consultation with a graphic designer, printing company, Shaoxing officials, local people, and Chinese tourism professionals, the guidebook was completed in December 2009.

For more information on Shaoxing, the Experience Vintage Shaoxing Guidebook, or BTI, please contact us: contact@belletourism.com

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DongguanDiscovery.com opens a new window for you to know about Dongguan, Guangdong
November, 2009

The Dongguan Tourism Bureau, in association with Professor Alastair Morrison of Belle Tourism International (BTI) and Professor Lili Zhang from Guangzhou International Tourism Institute at South China University of Technology, has created the official travel and tourism website in English for Dongguan. Following a comprehensive research study, including surveys of residents and the travel trade in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the major cities in Guangdong Province, the website was launched on November 25, 2009.

As the city of Dongguan is famous across the world for its role in history and the economy of China, Dongguan decided to recruit the services of the internationally renowned Professor Zhang, who is based in Guangzhou, and Professor Morrison, who is based in Shanghai, but also serves as a Visiting Professor of Hong Kong University and is associated with Purdue University, USA. Together, they directed a team of some 20 professionals to examine, research, and comment on what Dongguan offered to visitors and represented as part of China. Following the extensive research project, the findings directed the design and contents of the new website. A Chilean web designer worked with BTI staff to create a site that would fully reflect Dongguan’s attractions and catch the interest of international visitors.

Dongguan is something of a well-kept secret among tourists. However, the BTI team found that it has great historical attractions, five-star hotels, such as Hyatt and Sofitel, numerous resorts and spas, championship golf courses, botanical gardens, and more. This new online resource will give greater exposure for Dongguan, and in turn, an increase in tourism as the city has positioned and marketed itself in the best possible way as the City of Human Discovery.

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BTI and Heritage and Tourism International form new partnership
October, 2009

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Belle Tourism International (BTI) and Heritage and Tourism International (HTI) of the U.K. have announced plans to work together to create one of the leading authorities in the tourism field, with unrivalled expertise, knowledge and experience for tourism related organizations. Figures released by the World Tourism Organization suggest that by 2020 heritage tourism will represent one fifth of the global tourism market. 

HTI, comprising Oxford Archaeology (OA) and TEAM (Tourism Enterprise and Management), is the leading authority on heritage and tourism across the globe. Their team of experts has vast public and private sector experience on international projects. Including UNWTO experts, leading academics, and hands-on expertise, HTI is regarded as one of the world’s main authority on heritage and tourism. 

Belle Tourism International (BTI) is a boutique international tourism and hospitality consultancy services company specializing mainly in the Greater China and Asia-Pacific markets. Combining in-depth global industry experience with valuable local expertise and knowledge, BTI works with governments, private-sector companies, and not-for-profit organizations worldwide to generate and implement creative tourism and hospitality planning, development, marketing, research, operational and training solutions.

The combination of BTI, who also has a partnership with TEAM in the U.K. and COTRI in Germany, and HTI, has created one of the most comprehensive banks of knowledge, professional know-how, and academic backgrounds in heritage and tourism, destination marketing and hospitality anywhere in the world.

Professor Alastair Morrison, CEO of BTI, said, “With this new joint working agreement, it has allowed BTI and HTI to offer a more comprehensive, varied, and in-depth service to governments, private-sector companies, and not-for-profit organizations in China, Asia and indeed, worldwide.”