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Travel Tips
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Traveling to China
Editor’s note: Global business, and subsequently, global business travel, continues to expand rapidly. In response, CWT Traveler will provide to readers each month in 2007 insights and tips on traveling from North America to other countries around the world. The first installment focuses on the People’s Republic of China, in response to the explosion of business growth in the Asia Pacific region in recent years.
In business:
- Chinese greetings involve nodding or bowing slightly. Handshakes are becoming more common, but wait for the Chinese persons to offer their hands rather than initiating the move.
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Refer to Chinese counterparts with their title followed by their name.
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Age is highly respected in Chinese culture. Don’t be surprised if the oldest member of the group receives extra gestures of hospitality and respect. The eldest people often enter and leave a room first and the business conversation should be held by the senior officials of each side.
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Patience and the ability to mask emotion will work to an American’s advantage when doing business with Chinese citizens.
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Punctuality is held in high regard for both business meetings and social occasions.
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The traditional work day is 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, though this has been scaled back to Monday through Friday in some major cities.
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The Chinese write dates in this order: year, month, day. For example, August 18, 2006, would appear 06/08/18.
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China has only one time zone. It is 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
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Certain colors are significant in Chinese culture. Unless these are understood, use black and white for presentations, marketing materials, business cards, etc.
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The Chinese appreciate those who demonstrate interest in and appreciation of their culture and history.
Good to know:
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Internet use isn’t as engrained in daily life in China as it is in America – the government censors Web sites and has been known to force some Internet cafés to close. Also, the Chinese ideographs aren’t easily adapted to keys on a computer keyboard.
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Credit card use is not nearly as prevalent in China.
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The Chinese do not use their hands when speaking, nor do they add to what they’re saying with facial expressions and gestures the way many Americans do.
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Don’t touch a Chinese person unless a close relationship has been established.
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If giving a gift, expect the recipient to decline three times before accepting. Continue to persist until they accept, express pleasure they’ve done so, and realize the gift won’t be opened until later.
Resolve to travel more safely in 2007
Traveler safety and security was top of mind for the CWT clients who recently attended a safety and security session in New York City. The event was part of CWT's ongoing client education series,Travel.Perspective. While corporations must take measures to make business travel safe for employees, the real burden falls on travelers to protect themselves while on the road. Following are some guidelines to keep in mind at various stages in a business traveler’s journey:
Before the trip
- Travelers should carefully read any destination information made available by their company’s corporate travel department or corporate travel manager. Note any mention of safe/unsafe locations, potential health risks in the region, any conflict occurring amongst citizens, etc.
At the airport
- Never let luggage, carry-ons or purses/wallets out of site, even for a split second.
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Specifically, exercise caution if a stranger approaches asking a question or otherwise providing a distraction. There are many documented cases of scams where several people work together to steal travelers’ possessions – while one person distracts the traveler, another is waiting nearby to quickly steal baggage and slip back into the crowd.
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Though handing over personal possessions is required to pass through security checkpoints, be as vigilant as possible at these stations, as they provide many opportunities for theft to occur.
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Once at the destination, stand as close to the beginning of the baggage claim conveyor belt as possible. If claiming more than one bag, keep the first one close-by and in eyesight when reaching for the second.
Transportation
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Many taxis will list behind the driver’s seat the driver’s name, the vehicle number and a toll free phone number to call with problems or concerns. For many reasons it’s a good idea to write this information down when entering a cab. It may come in handy as long as a month or two after the trip; for instance, if the charge comes through too high on the credit card statement.
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Never ride in a vehicle claiming to be a taxi or transportation service without first verifying the authenticity of this claim. If possible, use the taxi line established outside many airports – often there is an attendant guiding people through the process who can also be consulted, should a particular vehicle/driver seem suspicious.
At the hotel
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Keep the room door locked at all times.
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Never answer the door without first looking through the door’s peephole with the deadbolt in place.
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Ask for identification from anyone claiming to work for the hotel before they are allowed to enter the room.
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Ask for an escort if feeling nervous or unsafe for any reason, especially if it’s very late or very early and hallways/elevators are deserted.
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If someone or something appears to be out of the norm, notify the hotel’s front desk immediately.
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Note the location of fire exits near the room, and try to memorize the number of doors between the room and the fire exit. This could be helpful if there is indeed a fire and the hallway is filled with smoke.
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Place the room key in a pair of shoes by the door to avoid having to search for it in case of an emergency.
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Carry a portable smoke detector along on trips for extra assurance, if desired.
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Pay attention to the neighborhood in which the hotel is located. If it appears at all unsafe, ask for the front desk to call a taxi to come directly outside the hotel’s front doors rather than walking to the nearest bus station, subway stop or taxi pick-up area.
In general
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Exercise caution throughout the entire trip:
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Be as vigilant of the surroundings as possible.
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Avoid divulging too much personal information to anyone, regardless of the person’s apparent affiliation with the hotel, etc.
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If traveling with colleagues, stay in a group as much as possible.
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Don’t walk on unlit streets or through dark alleyways or other areas that may seem to provide a shortcut.
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Sources: Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Kevin Coffey of Corporate Travel Safety, Bruce McIndoe of iJet Intelligent Risk Systems
