Advice on Cross-Cultural Issues

China is one of the very few countries in the world that has rich in cultural history, which until now the country is continuing to enriched, which is also one of the main key areas for its continuing progress and development.The country of China or PRC (Peoples Republic of China) is also known for its love for country and its people where it has shown in many times on how the country regardless where they are in the world, they still have shown tremendous unity and respect to one another and on how they value their country and their values anywhere they go.

Which shows in the way they do things in their country, like for instance in their country, they prefer to communicated with their local language and for people to conduct business in their country need to understand and study their culture, because that is how China market is, most of its people until now, follows traditional Chinese ways.For companies to have a branch in China, they have to study carefully their culture and sometimes learning to speak the language is highly essential.Splendid China is one of the many tourist attraction of China, not only in China, there are also Splendid China constructed and being well visited by tourist in other countries, which the main objective for them not to go anymore in mainland China just to experience the beauty of sites and cultures of China.China Travel Service HoldingsChina Travel Services Holdings was originally established in 1928, by Mr. Chen Guangfu.

  It is managed by state-owned large-scale lead enterprise managed by Ste-owned Asset Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.  Its main core business involves travel, steel and iron business, real estate and trade distribution.China Travel Services Hong Kong as a subsidiary of CTS Holdings is considered the biggest in Hong Kong, with 40 branches along in Hong Kong and Macao, and about 21 branches in other countries, which now has already 16 selective countries worldwide, and this includes, US, Canada, Australia, England, France , Germany, and a lot more.Currently, CTS Holdings is embarking to improve its operation and all the businesses that it manages, through technology, hiring highly skilled personnel, reasonable structure, outstanding core business, advance management, and so on.

This is for the one main objective of improving its present service and product for its valued customers.  (China Travel Services Holdings Hong Kong Limited n.d.).Folk Theme ParkActually it is not only Splendid China that is well known Folk Theme Park in China, along with it, there are: China Folk Culture Villages, Window of the World, Happy Valley, alongside with the Shenzhen Bay Hotel, Seaview Hotel, Happy Valley International Youth Hostel, He Xiangning Art Gallery and Huaxia Art Center.

  These were made famous all over the world as the most visited tourist attraction in China, which were also developed some braches abroad.Major attractions of China miniaturisedIn Splendid China, there are many miniaturized attraction that can be seen, which are all truly represents China’s old traditions and how they preserved it until now.From Great Wall of China, the Imperial Place, The Temple of Confucius, The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and the like.  These miniaturized attractions are carefully developed in order to have a very fine replica of the real famous cultural attraction of China, which tourist would feel that they are not away from the real site and instead have a breathtaking experience during the tour.

Display of different ethnic villagesChina Folk Theme Park is being considered sister park of Splendid China, its consumed land area is about 18 hectares, which includes a big cultural attraction of china folk arts, as well as customs and dwellings.  Actually this tourist attraction consist of 24 different life sized, ethnic villages which represents the 56 nationalities of China.With this beautiful site, it provides visitors an understanding on how native Chinese evolved and how the modern China way of dwellings and even their way of life. In other words, it is a picture of looking at the past and early way of life of Chinese on how houses and their surrounding look like.  (China Folk Culture Villages, n.

d.).Cultural shows, displays, foodAlso in the China Folk Culture Villages, there were a showcase of real presentation of local tradition of China, like its food, common displays and even dance presentation.  In fact during the daytime the presentation of some of the very enjoyful local festival is being witnessed by tourist like dragon boat race, the breathtaking knife pole festival, and the water splashing festival.At night it is the China Folk Parade, and the 500 ethnic performers will be presented and show their unique presentation of China’s old and rich tradition.

Educational and CultureThe event was also a very informative one, which is shown on all of the presentation and the lights and sounds that was presented in the tour.  Definitely, the very native culture of mainland China was well presented and it was a very enlightening as well as very educational tour that will be experienced and the days of stay would not even enough for tourist.Splendid Financial StatusCurrently, the China Travel Service Holdings are still investing more on the improvement of its infrastructure projects as well as providing a much better service for its tourist.  But, its main financial source came from its other business like in the steel and iron business, where it is gaining much revenue.

The recorded annual production reaches 5,000,000 tons steel, 5,000,000 tons iron, and 5,000,000 tons rolling steel. Guofeng Steel and Iron Co.Ltd. is the biggest producer of hot zonal rolling steel, and is the biggest producer of iron in Northwest China, what’s more, it is still the biggest provider of hot thin-zonal rolling steel in the country.  (China Travel Services Holdings Hong Kong Limited n.

d.).Current British Tourist Status in ChinaOne of the common tourist who visits Splendid China are British Nationals, which has recorded number of visitors of 552, 5576 in 2006, it shows that it is really a key potential figure that can be used for further business analysis.  It also has shown 40% of British Tourist love to involve in cultural activities.They also showed a volume of longer stay in the country, which may be considered that they may find a good visit or stay in the country.  And among the top place where most British nationals go is in Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town.

And now the PRC (Peoples Republic of China) is hosting the most prestigious event in sports and that is the World Olympics in 2008.  Which has added more attraction to tourist and at the same time a challenge for the country to show its grate preparation for the said big event?  In fact the issue of hospitality is being addressed by the government.In fact the country has formed an agency to handle it well and that is BOCOG (Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the TWENTY-NINER OLYMPICS.  Its main objective is on how China as how it can widens its kindness and civil constitutional rights to al the sponsors and others who will participate in this major event.

   (Beijing 2008 Olympics, n.d.).Tourism Legislation in ChinaSince China’s tourism is young, with the big investment that the country is allocating, it shows that China is serious of strengthening its tourism sector, and this is shown in its development of high rise and luxurious hotels and travel agencies.  Also includes the establishment and re-development of many tourist attractions that have help in the improvement of the tourist business in the country, like the Splendid China.With all of these latest and aggressive moves towards the development of Chinese tourism, there is also some tourism legislation that is implemented in China.

  But, in spite of some legal policies it still aims to provide visitors a more liberal procedure in visiting the country in order to improve the tourism, because it will defeat the purpose of enticing foreign visitors if there will be strict guidelines and policies to be implemented.Currently the boom of the tourism was mainly brought out by the emergence of a new, urban middle-class, based on the growing consumption of tourist products.While the foreign tourism remains to be a little bit in control but not unlike as before where much strict policies has been implemented and that really affects the tourism sector of the country.  But still it shows better result on the reported visit by foreign tourist, like 60% of foreign trips take place within the context of business trips. 4,1 million foreign exits were recorded in 1993.

  (Tourism Law in China , n.d.).But still, China is still focusing in updating its old and outdated tourism laws and policies, because it may affect the country’s future economic growth, most especially now other countries have seen to have progressed dramatically and that is not only because of its foreign trade but also they have strengthen their tourism business.Future OutlookThe following are the future priorities that will be considered in order to further improve the China’s tourism, and these are: (1) More attempts to law and regulation, this is very important because it will help the country in re-visiting the laws and policies that the country is currently using, which will all be focus on how the country will entice more tourist to visit the country(2) Improvement to tourism infrastructure.

Like development or improvement of current tourist spots as well as development of new ones, and (3) Improvement to hospitality for the Beijing Olympics 2008, like providing agencies to help improved the hospitality of its people, most especially the participants in the Olympics, but will have to provide a more country-wide approach of encouraging kindness and hospitality.The Cultural EnvironmentIn this paper it shows that China needs to improve its tourism and one of the main driver on how that can be achieved is by improving its cultural environment.  A Culture that would respect Hierarchy, Family, Collectivism and as well as Harmony, because respect is the reflection of human values.With companies now applying what we call “international strategy” values now became a more important part of the agenda for most organizations.Increasingly, most companies are also embarking to implementing strict practices in having better values in the workplace, most especially multi-national companies where much diverse environment with different attitude and different ways towards life will be experienced.

It is being said clearly that Culture is the most important intangible issue that needs to be addressed, and in order for this culture be able to be practice within the workplace, there should be proper showing of values is needed.  These values may differ from one person to another.The position of the manager plays a very important role in guiding their subordinates to practice the standard company values and will always make sure if it is being done religiously.  And in times that the employees do not apply the prescribed values, there will be some penalties to be given.  For other company, this will be the only way for them to make sure if the staffs are doing it from the heart.

It is also shows that China’s great influence to Confucianism, Guanxi, and Mianzi, has shown in the way they manage employees.  That is why their way of addressing to the need of their people is somewhat laid back, and the concern of the future is not seen, since the values and tradition of these old philosophy is still being used.Hofstede’s Value DimensionsAs to have a better understanding in the contrasting values of British and China, where the latter is more on collectivistic, have a high uncertainty avoidance, high power distance, masculine and has a long term orientated.  While for British, they are more of Individualistic, with long uncertainty avoidance, low power distance, masculine, short term orientated.These only shows that with the result of this study China must look forward of letting its values in line with the British, which would really be a big help in improving its tourism partnership with the country.With all of these findings, in short China must adopt change and it should be able to effectively apply it in all aspect of its tourism operation and management, which includes: people treatment and management including recruitment, for both employees and customers, marketing strategies.

Because right now, it is more on globalization, where companies from different countries of the world finds more beneficial result in employing a more change oriented approach in business management.  This is the only and most efficient way to improved Splendid China and other business that the CTS Holdings is managing and for sure success will be achieveReferences“BEIJING 2008 BOCOG Holds Sponsor Hospitality Workshop”, Beijing 2008 Olympics, December 3, 2006, [Online], Available at: http://beijingolympic2008.wordpress.com/2006/12/03/beijing-2008-bocog-holds-sponsor-hospitality-workshop/“Building a Service Oriented Culture.” Anything HR by Ed, April 14, 2005, [Online] Available at: from http://anythinghr.blogspot.com/2005/04/building-service-oriented-culture.html“Building a Service Oriented Culture.” Anything HR by Ed, April 14, 2005, [Online] Available at:  http://anythinghr.blogspot.com/2005/04/building-service-oriented-culture.html“China Folk Culture Villages”, China Landscape, n.d, [Online], Available at: http://www.asia-planet.net/china/splendid-china-shenzhen.htm“China Travel Services Holdings Hong Kong Limited”, Grand Metro Park Hotel, n.d, [Online] Available at: http://www.metroparkhotels.com/group_aboutus2.php“Confucianism”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 December 2007, [Online], Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism“Face – Social Custom”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 December 2007, [Online], Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_(social_custom) “Guanxi”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 27 November 2007, [Online], Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanxi“Splendid China”, China Landscape, n.d, [Online], Available at: http://www.asia-planet.net/china/splendid-china-shenzhen.htm“Tourism Law in China”, Ideas and Trends – Hotel Online, n.d, [Online], Available at: http://www.hotel-online.com/Trends/AsiaPacificJournal/July98_ChinaLaw.html#A