Far East
Where to go and why
The Far East is slowly coming back as a place for expats - but only at a senior level. Hong Kong and Singapore remain key destinations for the English-speaker. China is experiencing huge hotel growth and European senior managers are needed to train local staff. Be aware, however, that it takes time - about two years - to get up to speed with the way in which things are done in China. In Beijing and Shanghai English is fairly widely spoken, but Mandarin would be useful for a regional posting.
Money
Currency: Hong Kong dollar; Singapore dollar.
Salaries: (China) Department head: £3,800 per month including housing; general manager: £4,800 per month plus package of benefits.
Taxes: None in China; local tax in Hong Kong or Singapore.
Employers
International chains: Choice International; Hyatt; Marriott; Six Continents; Shangri-La; Oriental Express; Best Western; Millennium & Copthorne (Singapore).
Regional hotels: Peninsula Group; Century International Hotels (part owned by Accor); Raffles Holdings
Independent: Great Eagle (five-star).
Living/working conditions
China used to be seen as a hardship posting, with perks to boot. This is less true today - leisure trips and subsidies for entertaining are no longer available. Training local staff to move into more senior roles is expected and while the staff are unionised, managers can normally expect to work longer days.
In Hong Kong the climate is mostly good, although it is cold sometimes and few apartments have central heating. Property is very expensive - a mortgage on a two-bedroom flat of £500,000 is not uncommon. As a small island Hong Kong can seem quite claustrophobic and the same social circle hard to get away from. The same is true of Singapore.
Red tape
Lots of red tape for everything, especially in China. Your employer will have to sort out your work visa. In Hong Kong Brits now need a visa and the employer has to prove a local can't do the job.
Health
Malaria. No other major risks, unless you trek in-land. Private medical insurance should be included in benefits package.
Developmental outlook
In China the domestic tourism industry amounted to 720 million arrivals in 1999, dwarfing the 8.4 million foreign arrivals in the same year. With closer links to the West, international companies are moving in to exploit the potential. The World Tourism Organisation predicts China will be the top tourist destination by 2020.
Andersen's Hotel Industry Benchmark Survey in early January 2001 reported an 11% increase in revpar for hotels in Asia-Pacific during 2000 - amounting to the fastest growth in the world.
Hong Kong is recuperating from the crash of the tiger economies coupled with the post-handover slump of 1997. New employers are moving in and a Disney Theme Park is due to open in 2005. Hotel occupancies have climbed back to an average of 80% but rates are still down 40% on the pre-handover years.
Useful links
For basic info on any city, including cost of living guide, business etiquette and cultural events: http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com.
