Chinese travellers are now the largest group of tourists in the world; 97 million Chinese travelled abroad in 2013 and the Chinese middle class is already larger than the population of the entire population of the USA.

In 2012, there were approximately 180,000 Chinese visitors to the UK each year, and VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourism agency, predicts that by 2021, the UK will be attracting 600,000 Chinese visitors.

This presents a great opportunity for the Lake District, as the area has a lot that will appeal to Chinese visitors. Even if we can only attract a small percentage of the people who travel to the UK from China, it will have a significant impact on the local tourism industry and the wider local economy.

Many people mistakenly think that Chinese tourists are only interested in London. However, about half of the Chinese visitors to the UK travel outside the capital.

Cumbria Tourism now says that Chinese visitors to the Lake District outnumber the Japanese.

The area’s proximity to Manchester airport will also be a significant asset in attracting Chinese visitors, particularly with direct flights from Hong Kong to Manchester due to start in December, and from Beijing expected in the next year.

Although many Chinese tourists come to the UK as part of an organised tour, there are a growing number of independent travellers who are seeking out new destinations and activities.

The Lake District’s stunning scenery will have a strong appeal for Chinese travellers. Research by Visit Britain shows that among the most important things Chinese visitors want from a holiday is to enjoy the beauty of the landscape and to connect to nature.

At the moment most Chinese people are more aware of Britain as a destination for heritage rather than landscapes. We need to show people in China why this area is loved for its beautiful scenery. However, Chinese visitors will also be interested in our historic houses, landmarks and gardens.

Many Chinese people have a love of poetry, which is culturally very significant in China. I think Chinese visitors would be interested to learn more about Wordsworth, his poetry and the landscapes that inspired him.

In 2011/12 there were 80,000 Chinese students in higher education in Britain, many of them at northern universities such as those in Lancaster and Manchester. Many Chinese students have friends and family who come to visit them while they are at university. This is a great opportunity to get people to visit the Lake District.

Food is an issue for Chinese tourists; the Chinese are a nation of foodies but they generally have a very negative view of British food. There is a widespread rumour that we live on potatoes!

The Lake District has increasingly become a food destination within the UK and we have an opportunity to make our local specialities a feature of Chinese trips to the area.

More needs to be done nationally to promote areas outside London to the Chinese.

However, there are are things we can do locally. At English Lakes, we have a Chinese language website. We need to provide more information about the Lake District in Chinese.

A number of businesses already work together in the Japan Forum to continue to attract Japanese visitors, a similar approach to China may be the forward.

It is well documented that many Japanese people visit the area because they read Beatrix Potter’s stories when they were young. We do not have the same advantage with the Chinese, so we will need to work harder to make people aware of the area.

It is important that we start building relationships with people in the Chinese travel industry and develop our understanding of this important tourism market so that the Lake District can become a must-see destination for many Chinese people travelling to Britain.