Our Man In China – Meet Wei

One of TravelLocal’s first partner companies, is now a stalwart of the website. Wei, the Managing Director, is an old friend of the team here – we’ve known him for nearly ten years. The company was founded in 1999, though Wei and his team had all been working as guides since 1987, when tourism to China first began to really take off.

Do you have a favourite place in China? “Definitely Zhongdian in Yunnan Province. It has fantastic landscapes, a real sense of mystery and increasingly good hotels and restaurants. There are big plans for development there, so see it while you can.

How has your company changed over the years? “Well of course we have grown as we have aged! We started with 4 people and now there are 25 of us handling customers from all over the world.”

What new ideas are you and your team looking at? “We have our eyes on homestays, a previously challenging idea in China. Also we expect a boom in high-speed train travel in China. Watch this space.”

Why is travelling with local companies important to you? “Buying local products from local providers will always enable local people to benefit the most from tourism. Travelling with us means reaching fascinating cultures and landscapes that many other companies do not offer, or even know about. And many of these areas do not have the same opportunities as more developed areas like Xian or Guilin. By offering these products, we increase the chances for local people to gain from tourism.”

Make it happen

Want to meet Wei? You’ll need to go to China! Check out our China country pages. All trips created by our local travel companies are 100% bespoke and unique to you.