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Naming the UK
By Yang Lan Source:Global Times Published: 2014-12-10 18:38:01
The national British tourism agency VisitBritain and UK Visas and Immigration have asked Chinese citizens to come up with Chinese names for 101 tourist attractions in the UK as part of a campaign to lure Chinese tourists to the country, according to a press release from VisitBritain.
On the VisitBritain website, the attractions have been sorted into nine categories such as film and literature, and food and wine. On December 3, the campaign opened the first category for naming. It will open a new category each week until February.
The open category is for tourist attractions related to the royal family. It includes places like Hampton Court Palace, King Henry VIII's favorite palace, and the Royal Mile, a famous sightseeing area in the Old Town in Edinburgh.
Each attraction is listed online with a photograph and a short introduction about its history, location and distinguishing characteristics. After reading the information, people can name them in Chinese, and submit the names online. They can also vote for names already submitted by others.
In March, VisitBritain will select the most popular and appropriate names for the 101 attractions. Anyone who comes up with one of the chosen will have a chance to win round-trip tickets to the UK.
The idea to name the sites in Chinese was inspired by the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch's Chinese name: Juanfu. Cumberbatch plays Sherlock Holmes in the BBC-produced television series Sherlock. Chinese viewers loved Cumberbatch's appearance on the show and came up with a name based on the Chinese transliteration of the name Sherlock Holmes: Fuermosi. They used the first character of the name fu, and added juan, which means curls - a reference to Cumberbatch's curly locks. Literally, it means "Curly-haired Sherlock." Cumberbatch reportedly also likes the name.
After seeing the effort that Chinese people put into naming things, VisitBritain figured they might also be interested in naming the UK's most famous tourist attractions.
"Our goal is to provoke a discussion about the UK in China," Patricia Yates, the strategy and communications director of VisitBritain, said in a press release. "This campaign will not only get Chinese people to know more about the tourism in the UK, but also encourage them to visit different parts of the country."
In 2013, 196,000 Chinese tourists visited the UK, up 10 percent from the previous year, according to VisitBritain. In aggregate, they spent 492 million pounds ($771 million), up 64 percent from 2012. Seeing that Chinese tourists are enthusiastic about visiting the UK, Yates believes that the campaign will help the UK stay competitive with other countries also seeking to attract Chinese tourists.
"Chinese tourists are more than welcome in the UK," Dominique Hardy, regional manager of China and DPRK, UK Visas and Immigration, said in the press release. "Through this campaign, we hope to encourage Chinese tourists to come to the UK, visit the vibrant cities, and see our history and culture. We provide fair, simple and fast visa service for them."
It takes less than nine work days on average to process a UK visa for a Chinese citizen. "Our visa service is also flexible," she said. "Applicants can choose an appropriate visa processing time for them through a series of extra service options."
In 2013, the number of Chinese outbound tourists reached 98 million, making China the biggest outbound tourism market in the world, according to people.cn.
To attract Chinese tourists, VisitBritain has spent more than 1.6 million pounds on its campaign. The UK ranks third behind Germany and USA on the Anholt-GfK Nations Brand Index, an annual study based on surveys of 20,000 consumers in 20 countries around the world.
Regarding tourism, the UK ranks forth in vibrant city life and urban attractions, fifth in rich historic buildings and monuments, and fifth in willingness to visit if money is no object, according to the index. Chinese tourists have given the UK high marks for its general tourism experience.
On the VisitBritain website, the attractions have been sorted into nine categories such as film and literature, and food and wine. On December 3, the campaign opened the first category for naming. It will open a new category each week until February.
The open category is for tourist attractions related to the royal family. It includes places like Hampton Court Palace, King Henry VIII's favorite palace, and the Royal Mile, a famous sightseeing area in the Old Town in Edinburgh.
Each attraction is listed online with a photograph and a short introduction about its history, location and distinguishing characteristics. After reading the information, people can name them in Chinese, and submit the names online. They can also vote for names already submitted by others.
In March, VisitBritain will select the most popular and appropriate names for the 101 attractions. Anyone who comes up with one of the chosen will have a chance to win round-trip tickets to the UK.
The idea to name the sites in Chinese was inspired by the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch's Chinese name: Juanfu. Cumberbatch plays Sherlock Holmes in the BBC-produced television series Sherlock. Chinese viewers loved Cumberbatch's appearance on the show and came up with a name based on the Chinese transliteration of the name Sherlock Holmes: Fuermosi. They used the first character of the name fu, and added juan, which means curls - a reference to Cumberbatch's curly locks. Literally, it means "Curly-haired Sherlock." Cumberbatch reportedly also likes the name.
After seeing the effort that Chinese people put into naming things, VisitBritain figured they might also be interested in naming the UK's most famous tourist attractions.
"Our goal is to provoke a discussion about the UK in China," Patricia Yates, the strategy and communications director of VisitBritain, said in a press release. "This campaign will not only get Chinese people to know more about the tourism in the UK, but also encourage them to visit different parts of the country."
In 2013, 196,000 Chinese tourists visited the UK, up 10 percent from the previous year, according to VisitBritain. In aggregate, they spent 492 million pounds ($771 million), up 64 percent from 2012. Seeing that Chinese tourists are enthusiastic about visiting the UK, Yates believes that the campaign will help the UK stay competitive with other countries also seeking to attract Chinese tourists.
"Chinese tourists are more than welcome in the UK," Dominique Hardy, regional manager of China and DPRK, UK Visas and Immigration, said in the press release. "Through this campaign, we hope to encourage Chinese tourists to come to the UK, visit the vibrant cities, and see our history and culture. We provide fair, simple and fast visa service for them."
It takes less than nine work days on average to process a UK visa for a Chinese citizen. "Our visa service is also flexible," she said. "Applicants can choose an appropriate visa processing time for them through a series of extra service options."
In 2013, the number of Chinese outbound tourists reached 98 million, making China the biggest outbound tourism market in the world, according to people.cn.
To attract Chinese tourists, VisitBritain has spent more than 1.6 million pounds on its campaign. The UK ranks third behind Germany and USA on the Anholt-GfK Nations Brand Index, an annual study based on surveys of 20,000 consumers in 20 countries around the world.
Regarding tourism, the UK ranks forth in vibrant city life and urban attractions, fifth in rich historic buildings and monuments, and fifth in willingness to visit if money is no object, according to the index. Chinese tourists have given the UK high marks for its general tourism experience.
The Hampton Court Palace in London, King Henry VIII's favorite palace
Members of the Queen's Guard march prior to the Trooping the Colour in June.
The Royal Mile, a famous sightseeing area in Edinburgh
Photos: CFP
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