Frankfurt Airport’s Personal Shopping for Chinese Travellers

Germany’s largest aviation hub, Frankfurt Airport, has introduced a free personal shopping service for Chinese travellers. The facility, which was initially introduced as a pilot project in summer 2012, will assist the one million passengers flying to Frankfurt from China each year. 

Mandarin-speaking staff, trained in the culture, preferences and needs of Chinese travellers, are available to give tips on shopping and airport orientation, assist in obtaining tax refunds and escort passengers through the security process. A Mandarin version of the Frankfurt Airport app has also been released.

Frankfurt is just one of a number of European airports introducing initiatives to appeal to Chinese tourists. Paris-based airport operator Aeroports de Paris and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport both introduced welcome programmes for Chinese travellers during Chinese New Year in January 2012. The airports have also employed Mandarin-speaking shop assistants and developed Chinese versions of their mobile apps. 

Travel and retail brands are increasingly trying to make their products and services more attractive to this affluent consumer base, which, on average, spends half of its travel budget on shopping. Read more in Meet the Chinese Travellers.

Frankfurt Airport