The first ever VIP Fam Trip for senior members of the UK’s Chinese Student Societies takes place in Brighton and Hove this weekend.
The pilot project, organised by specialist PR and Marketing agency, Guanxi, aims to raise the city’s profile within the Chinese student communities studying here in the UK, and with their friends and family in China. Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Chinese Student Societies from five UK universities will enjoy a weekend as guests of VisitBrighton, sharing their experiences through their Societies’ social media networks, communication channels and through word of mouth with their fellow students. They will also be encouraged to give their own opinions of the attractions, hotels and restaurants they visit on China’s influential social media review sites, the Chinese equivalents of TripAdvisor.
There are around 130,000 students from mainland China and Hong Kong studying in the UK, making the UK one of the most popular countries in the world for overseas study. During their degrees, students explore the UK beyond their university towns, often accompanied by their parents or friends who take the opportunity to visit the UK during their studies. Chinese students are also excellent ambassadors for the UK, sharing their experiences with their friends back home using social media, both whilst they are here and upon their return to China.
Helena Beard, Managing Director of Guanxi, said,
‘Whilst most of our PR and marketing campaigns are delivered in China, we have been keen to explore the opportunity offered by the Chinese students already in the UK. Chinese social media is very influential but it is difficult for UK destinations, hotels and attractions to achieve cut-through with limited budgets. By approaching the Presidents of the influential Chinese Societies as we would the media we hope to deliver positive social reach to highly targeted audiences in an accessible way.’
Julia Gallagher, Head of Sales, VisitBrighton, said,
‘VisitBrighton is committed to targeting the Chinese market which is hugely important to the city, and the student market is one of the sectors we are keen to reach. Brighton is a natural choice for Chinese millennials seeking unique shopping experiences, delicious food and a vibrant cultural scene. We just need to raise our profile so they know we are here.’
Delegates from King’s College London, University of Birmingham, Lancaster University, Bournemouth University and the University of the West of England will be in Brighton 24th – 26th March ‘17. They will enjoy meals at the award-winning vegetarian restaurant, Terre à Terre, and Brighton’s ever-popular seafood restaurant, The Regency Restaurant. Also on the itinerary are visits to the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, the iconic Palace Pier and the towering British Airways i360.
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