China

China is considered the next great tourist destination.

With the largest shopping mall in the world recently built, the biggest skyscrapers, and biggest cities that tout populations of sometimes up to 15 million, China looms large as the center of growth in the next decade. As a destination, it’s already on its way.

Some of the forays into the world travel market have been trips planned through the blessings of the Chinese government. Calling them “trade missions”, chambers and quasi-government institutions around the world have signed up for the tour. 10 days, a few thousand dollars and a whirl-wind tour of the highlights of China–with lots of shopping included.

Such approaches really work! People see the luxury hotels with marble flooring and quality fixtures, and they feel quite comfortable returning to this lifestyle where hotels are still incredible deals by big city standards. Try finding such values of less than $200 (US), in New York, for instance. Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou are three of the largest, most popular cities to visit.

When planning a trip, you’ll need a Visa, of course, and you should especially take suitcase space for the things you’ll buy. One of the best items is silk products. The quality of silk is top notch.

There are less girls in China than boys, less women than men. While one child is permitted to each married couple, a couple may try a second time to have a boy when the first born is a girl.If it sounds like Chinese society continues to favor men, that may help explain why China has the highest suicide rate for women of any place on earth. It’s the only country where females exceed males in suicides.In addition to isolation and seeing no way out of their marriages when pre-arranged, rural women and girls have more difficulty in breaking the cycle of abuse that can occur.Women & Girls in ChinaA recent survey of 4,000 Chinese career women under the age of 30 delved into their preferences for marriage or remaining single. Over 57% want to get married before age 30.About two-thirds of women said that being single is the result of failure to find a mate. When choosing a potential spouse, 54% sought mates who shared common interests; 37% seek partners with a solid career and financial security; and only 1% choose a mate based solely on physical appearance.Chinese Single Girls35% are insecure or lonely31% pressured to get married25% worried, beauty will fadeCosmetics manufacturing in China exceeds 180 billion yuan (US $21.7 billion) annually. China’s cosmetics industry experiences an annual growth rate of 15% currently.L’Oreal is opening a Shanghai research and development center, one of its 14 research facilities worldwide, to better understand its Chinese customers, one of its fastest growing cosmetics markets. The new facility sits next to the Yue-Sai factory, a local cosmetics producer acquired by L’Oreal.Women & Girls in ChinaReflecting cultural preferences for traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), such additives will be included in future L’Oreal products.China Hair TrendsHairdressing and the beauty industry has become the fifth major growth area in China in recent years, following real estate, automobile, tourism, and telecommunications industries.China’s beauty and hairdressing economy has experienced rapid development during the past two decades, with its annual revenue increasing by 15% since the mid-1980s.According to the “Beauty and Hairdressing Industry Survey” conducted by the China Beauty and Fashion Paper, there are 1.54 million salons, 3,750 cosmetics enterprises and 673 related professional training institutes in China.China Cosmetic Surgery BoomsEyes and noses are the most popular for surgery, with prices ranging from around 3,000 yuan (US$370) for a “double-eyelid” procedure to about 20,000 yuan (US$2,500) for a nose job.Breast augmentation, a favorite in the West, sets patients in Shanghai back about 35,000 yuan (US$4,400).Although illegal until the early 1980s, plastic surgery is now a multi-billion dollar industry, spurred in part by TV shows such as “Lovely Cinderella” which offer surgery as prizes.According to Xinhua News Agency, the country is home to a million plastic surgery clinics, employing 6 million people.The China Consumers Association reported 20,000 complaints of disfigurement as a result of cosmetic operations each year.China Girls BeautyChinese secondary school students are getting less exercise–and their health is declining as a result.Half of the students have high blood pressure and the number of overweight students is double that from five years ago, according to a recent study from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and State Sports Administration in China.It also indicates a physical decline in vital capacity, speed and strength while heights and weights continue on an upward curve.Elementary and secondary students in Beijing have on average more than eight classes a day, double the amount of class hours allowed by state regulations, making it difficult for students to get much needed exercise.”More than 60 percent of head teachers of elementary and secondary schools in Beijing admit that the students are overloaded with school work and many schools cannot let students have physical education every day,” said Du Songpeng, deputy director of the commission.Some schools cancel sports events they think are too dangerous in order to avoid accidents, which makes it difficult to improve the physical condition of the students, Du said.The rapid development of the Chinese economy, notably in urban areas, has contributed to a faster pace of life and rising disposable incomes, with impulse food and drink channels benefiting as a result. Chinese consumers are increasingly opting to buy food and drinks in more convenient locations, despite their higher cost.Vending machines, for example, were introduced to the Chinese market in 1999 and are expected to reach 100,000 units in the next five years.Packaged drinks such as ready-to-drink tea (RTD tea), are experiencing the strongest growth through vending machines.Increasingly busy lifestyles in China are also having an impact on eating patterns. With people working longer hours, it is becoming more and more common for Chinese consumers to eat “on-the-go” or in restaurants. As a result, the number of outlets in the country grew by 16% recently.With Chinese consumers starting to embrace the restaurant industry, Yum! Brands Inc, which manages KFC and Pizza Hut, is ranked first in the foodservice industry, with the chain Small Fat Sheep, positioned second. By mid-2004 the Small Fat Sheep chain operated 668 outlets across the country, achieving success by offering good food and service at competitive prices. The restaurant supplies customers with soup, with which customers choose fresh meat and vegetables to add to the soup themselves. Packaged food sold through impulse channels will achieve an average annual growth rate of 9.9% and packaged drinks will achieve average annual growth of 7.1% by 2009, experts predict. China Girls BeautyChinese secondary school students are getting less exercise–and their health is declining as a result.Half of the students have high blood pressure and the number of overweight students is double that from five years ago, according to a recent study from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and State Sports Administration in China.It also indicates a physical decline in vital capacity, speed and strength while heights and weights continue on an upward curve.Elementary and secondary students in Beijing have on average more than eight classes a day, double the amount of class hours allowed by state regulations, making it difficult for students to get much needed exercise.”More than 60 percent of head teachers of elementary and secondary schools in Beijing admit that the students are overloaded with school work and many schools cannot let students have physical education every day,” said Du Songpeng, deputy director of the commission.Some schools cancel sports events they think are too dangerous in order to avoid accidents, which makes it difficult to improve the physical condition of the students, Du said.The rapid development of the Chinese economy, notably in urban areas, has contributed to a faster pace of life and rising disposable incomes, with impulse food and drink channels benefiting as a result. Chinese consumers are increasingly opting to buy food and drinks in more convenient locations, despite their higher cost.Vending machines, for example, were introduced to the Chinese market in 1999, but grew in popularity so rapidly, their numbers have swollen into the thousands.Packaged drinks such as ready-to-drink tea (RTD tea), are experiencing the strongest growth through vending machines.Increasingly busy lifestyles in China are also having an impact on eating patterns. With people working longer hours, it is becoming more and more common for Chinese consumers to eat “on-the-go” or in restaurants. As a result, the number of outlets in the country grew by 16% recently.With Chinese consumers starting to embrace the restaurant industry, Yum! Brands Inc, which manages KFC and Pizza Hut, is ranked first in the foodservice industry, with the chain Small Fat Sheep, positioned second. By mid-2004 the Small Fat Sheep chain operated 668 outlets across the country, achieving success by offering good food and service
at competitive prices. The restaurant supplies customers with soup, with which customers choose fresh meat and vegetables to add to the soup themselves. Packaged food sold through impulse channels will achieve an average annual growth rate of 9.9% and packaged drinks will achieve average annual growth of 7.1% by 2009, experts predict.