Avery Booker of China Luxury Advisors shares the key insights from The Walpole’s Eastern Growth Summit in London.

Last week, CLA joined other presenters at the prestigious Walpole Eastern Growth Summit in London, where dozens of British brands, tourist destinations, and retailers discussed China’s outbound tourism boom and what it means for the UK. Much like New York, Paris, and Tokyo,

London has already seen significant growth in arrivals from mainland China in recent years, with around 200,000 visiting London last year. By 2020, VisitBritain hopes that Chinese tourist spending in the UK will double to £1 billion.

But as Chinese tourists celebrate easier 10-year visas to the US and a well-oiled and efficient Schengen visa program, Britain’s relatively slow and clunky visa system remains an impediment for the country’s brands.

Throughout last week’s event, three key themes emerged, the first of which being differentiation. For British brands large and small, highlighting history, heritage, and “Britishness” helps them stand apart from the French or Italian brands that have flooded the Chinese market in recent years.