EFFORTS by Alex Salmond, the first minister, to attract investment from China are being undermined by red tape and poor international transport links, it has been claimed.
Yan Ren, an entrepreneur in St Andrews who organises golf and business trips for Chinese clients, said Home Office delays in issuing visitor visas were deterring many from coming to Scotland.
Ren claims disgruntled businessmen have waited for up to three weeks for a visa to enter Britain while American embassies in China can arrange them within a day.
She said a lack of a direct air route between Scotland and China is stifling tourism as many are reluctant to spend hours waiting for connecting flights from London.
It means growing numbers of Chinese golfers are shunning Scotland’s links. On average they spend up to £10,000 each during a golf trip, a third of which is on souvenirs and keepsakes.
Advertisement
“Prolonged visa procedures have put off many Chinese businessmen from coming to Scotland,” said Ren. “These are successful people who cannot afford to be without their passport for three weeks, which is the length of time it was taking to get a visitor’s visa earlier this year. They have said to me they would rather go to America or France where it’s much easier and quicker to get the necessary visas.”
The news is likely to dismay Salmond who regards China as one of Scotland’s most important emerging tourism markets. He recently completed his third trip there to strengthen cultural and economic ties and helped to seal a deal to bring the pandas, Sunshine and Sweetie, from China to a home at Edinburgh zoo.
In 2010, Salmond visited Shanghai to launch a Chinese language golf travel brochure to make it easier for Chinese golfers, business people and their families to book a holiday in Scotland. Visitors from China contribute about £7m a year to the Scottish economy.
A spokesman for the Home Office said in 2011 visitor visas were issued to 205,000 Chinese nationals, an increase of 8% on 2009. He said 95% of applications were approved, of which three-quarters were turned around in five working days and 90% in eight working days.
“We are setting up visa centres in China and have recruited 150 visa officers who started work in April. The main reason for visa delays is people not providing the correct documents,” he said.
Advertisement
A spokesman for VisitScotland said China was recognised as a key emerging market and that efforts were under way to “sell” Scotland as a holiday destination.
Last month, Scotland won the Golf Travel Destination of the Year in the 2012 China Travel and Meetings Industry Awards organised by Travel Weekly China.
“The Chinese market is now one of our key emerging markets, along with the likes of India and Russia,” said Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland. “While our Chinese visitors are interested in our stunning scenery and our castles, they also tend to be big spenders, interested in big brands and designer clothes. Golf is clearly a key area, too. ”