Where Johnny Depp went in China: ultra-luxury holidays for wealthy travellers have taken off

Some of the world’s finest hotels, a high-speed rail network to rival Japan’s – China has come a long way in a short time and wealthy travellers have noticed

Specialist agencies tailor itineraries to their clients’ interests, and give them unmatched experiences, but some requests are too much even for these experts

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Serenaded by local musicians, wealthy visitors enjoy a private banquet in the Gobi Dessert. Photo: Guy Rubin

Published: 3:00pm, 26 May 2019Updated: 3:00pm, 26 May 2019

Chinese billionaires travelling abroad are 10 a penny. But equally well-off foreign tourists are travelling in the other direction, and specialised ultra-luxury travel agencies are there to cater to their every whim, whether it's a sit-down dinner on the Great Wall, a private jet transfer or an exclusive kung fu performance.

“A decade ago, going to China as a tourist would have been like going to Tanzania but without the safari,” says Guy Rubin, managing partner of Imperial Tours, which specialises in ultra-luxury tours in China. “People thought, ‘What is there to do in China? Only bad food and cheap hotels’. But there has been a tremendous development and China is now seen as a country that is achieving great things.”

The hype around China is growing and foreign visitors are becoming more confident and curious to see it with their own eyes, says Sarah Keenlyside from Beijing-based Bespoke Travel Company. “It has always been a safe country to travel around, but now it’s a super comfortable one too,” she says.

China is the fourth most visited country in the world, with 60.7 million international tourists per year, according to the United Nations’ 2018 Tourism Highlights Report. It is set to overtake France as the world’s number one tourist destination by 2030, global research company Euromonitor International predicts.

A private banquet on an unrestored section of the Great Wall is the sort of experience ultra-luxury tour companies in China can arrange for clients. Photo: Cerian Foulkes

Keenlyside says: “Combine the amazing food and culture that China has always had with a high-speed train network to rival Japan’s, and some of the finest hotels in the world, and you’ve got a great destination.” Travellers are spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation in Chinese cities. Globally, China was the largest market for luxury hotels in terms of revenue in 2017 with a total global market share of 18.58 per cent, according to a MarketWatch report. Although Bespoke Travel Company has noticed an increased interest, particularly from families, in “authentic” accommodation, such as Airbnb lets in Beijing’s hutongs, the vast majority of international luxury travellers still opt for five-star accommodation.