Associates

Roy Graff

Roy holds a bachelor's degree in Chinese and Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and speaks business level Mandarin Chinese fluently. He has made his career in travel and tourism business development with an emphasis on China, and has a deep understanding of China's culture and business practices developed from academia, public and private sector work since 1994. Roy is an experienced travel marketing and distribution executive involved in e-commerce, online travel and hospitality.

Since 2005, he combines consultation on China's tourism sector with several travel and hospitality ventures in China, Europe and North America. He conceived and ran the flagship forum on China's Travel Industry, 'China the Future of Travel' at WTM in London from 2006 to 2008. In 2005 (updated in 2008) Roy published the China Outbound Travel Handbook, a comprehensive primer on China's outbound tourism sector. He is a founding member of the China Advisers Network (C.A.N), an association of leading China specialists and advisers from various fields in the UK.

From 2009-2011 Roy was engaged by two of the top-ten global travel companies to plan and develop online hotel distribution marketing technology platforms targeted at travel agencies.

Returning to Europe after a long period of travel industry work in China, Roy continues to assist tourism companies, travel providers and tourism promotion bodies eager to discover the tremendous potential of China as both market and destination. Since 2002 until early 2005, Roy was dedicated to senior level business development and travel product distribution for the world's leading independent provider of products and services to the travel trade, Gullivers Travel Associates (gta - now part of Kuoni).

He lived in China's two commercial power houses, Beijing and Shanghai and travelled extensively to China's major cities, forging good personal relationships with key private sector and government contacts. Building on his experience of online travel, sales and marketing and China know-how, he was tasked with launching a brand new merchant model travel site to the Chinese market.

Roy served as China Director of e-Commerce for gta, overseeing all aspects of the company's electronic product distribution in China. In September 2004, Roy planned and executed a high-level three-day conference on modern tourism trends titled 'The Future of Travel is Here', co-hosted by Beijing Municipal Tourism Board. It was attended by provincial and city tourism board chair persons from China, senior level representatives from UNESCO, WTTC, Visa, AIG and other leading international companies totalling over 100 participants.

As a keen supporter of sustainable development and environmental protection he held several volunteer positions, including Vice President of communications at PACE (Professional Association for China's Environment) in China and council member of Tourism Concern in the UK. Roy cooperates with UNESCO, IUCN and other bodies to promote a sustainable and ethical tourism industry in China.

Prior to his work in China Roy was based in gta's headquarters in London as sales manager, independent travel, responsible for several international markets including India, Pakistan, Turkey, Greece, Israel, UK and Ireland. In 1995-1996, Roy served as a national tourism office representative in Taipei, Taiwan while learning Mandarin Chinese at the same time.

Key areas of expertise

e-Commerce; online travel marketing and sales; electronic distribution; strategic planning; marketing; event planning and direction; Chinese business communication and culture; business development in Asia.