New York's exclusive shops are recently looking for Chinese speaking staff, thus coping with an increasing number of well-to-do Chinese tourists.
Wealthy Chinese buyers not only dominate by number (about 300.000 this year) but as well by average travel spending which is higher than that of any other foreign country's visitors to the U.S.A..
New York's top shops representing the most appreciated luxury labels are now trying to attract Chinese customers by offering them an appropriate atmosphere consisting of Chinese staff or, at least, Mandarin speaking employees and special programs for such customers. N.Y.'s Montblanc center, for instance, even invited famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang for a concert dedicated to their Chinese target group. Besides, they are selling a special edition of their expensive pens decorated with a dragon, thus reminding the actual year of the dragon.
According to Chinese visitors, luxury products are cheaper in New York than in Beijing or Shanghai which would explain the remarkable spending rate per visitor. [Source: CNN]
I can't help to add a personal remark: This reminds me of the days, years ago, when I applied for a job at a globally involved employer in Germany. When it came to the point of foreign language knowledge, I mentioned Chinese among other idioms I had some knowledge of, and they told me: "You can't get anywhere with Chinese" ("Mit Chinesisch können Sie nichts werden"). Nowadays, it rather seems to me that we can't get too far on a global level without Chinese. - As to Chinese travellers on their shopping tour to New York I would add: This time it's not some nouveaux riches from post-communist Russia but quite a number more ...
By the way, my blog contains several other blogspots dealing with the increasing influence of China and the Chinese language. You are invited to have a look at them:
U.S.A. - China's Bitch ?
Chinese Language Flooding the Web
China's Internet - 500 Million Users
New York based Chinese Lifestyle Website:
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