Scotland sets out its stall to woo Chinese tourists

Raffaelli has visited China three times since March, which led to the hotel introducing initiatives aimed at welcoming Chinese guests. These included offering toothbrushes and toothpaste in the rooms, as well as congee and fried noodles on the menu. There is also the Balmoral's Afternoon Tea Masterclass, with a translator explaining in Mandarin the finer points of this British tradition.

"Our business from China, from May to September, increased by 17 percent compared with the same time in 2017," said Raffaelli, who is confident that revenue will continue to rise.

One Scottish institution well on the way to reaping the rewards of courting China is The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an annual event staged at Edinburgh Castle.

Brigadier David Allfrey, its chief executive and producer, said, "In 2016, ticket sales to Chinese visitors for the Tattoo increased by more than 600 percent, so we know there is a real appetite for our event among the Chinese public."

To meet this growing demand, the Tattoo in 2017 launched WeChat Pay facilities, the first Scottish tourism business to roll out such a system, which allows easier ticket purchases from the Chinese market, and which is increasing its presence on WeChat and Sina Weibo.

With the increase in Chinese visiting the Tattoo each year, Allfrey said there are plans to take the event to China in 2020.