Dear Quartz members,
Small changes in China have huge effects worldwide. Chinese people are reshaping entire fields, from technology to education, science, and more. In our Because China series, Quartz’s video team has dedicated itself to tracing the path of China’s power as it spreads around the globe.
Today marks the launch of season 2 of this award-winning series, with a deep dive into the impact Chinese travelers are having on the global tourism economy. Chinese tourists made 150 million trips abroad last year and Quartz journalist, Isabelle Niu, chronicles how countries and companies are bending over backwards to woo them—from offering WeChat Pay in restaurants to redesigning hotel rooms and bars. But keeping up is a major challenge, as Chinese tourists and their tastes are evolving quickly.Â
Members can watch episode one here.Â
And don’t forget to catch up on the first season of Because China if you haven’t already watched it. Stories it covers include:
- In America’s midwest, Chinese university students are helping pay for public universities, but those institutions are becoming unhealthily reliant on them.
- In Zambia, China has built large swathes of its internet infrastructure, propelling developments in communications, banking and public services. But has it also strengthened the hand of an increasingly authoritarian government?
- In Greece, wealthy Chinese property investors are pumping much-needed cash into the local economy in exchange for long-term visas. But as prices rise, local renters are finding themselves squeezed out of the market.
With best wishes for a thought-provoking day,
Jacob Templin
Executive producer