Elevating the Guest Experience: How United TV Supports Iceland Hotel Collection by Berjaya with Exclusive Chinese Channels

As Iceland continues to attract record numbers of international travellers, one market stands out for its rapid growth: Chinese tourism. In 2023, 53,000 visitors from China arrived in Iceland. That number then rose sharply to 96,000 the following year. (Source: Iceland Review). According to an article from Vísir, such numbers are prompting hopes that direct flights between the two countries could begin by 2027. (Source: Iceland Review).

Iceland is known for its stunning natural landscapes, thriving culture, glaciers, volcanoes, and, of course, the spectacular Northern Lights, so it's no wonder it’s a popular destination for international tourists. As the number of Chinese tourists visiting Iceland continues to increase year-on-year, hotels want to provide their Chinese guests with familiar entertainment options during their stay, which they are used to from the comfort of their own homes. For the Iceland Hotel Collection by Berjaya, delivering this comfort is a key part of enhancing the guest journey, and United TV is proud to play a central role in helping guests feel at home.

Aðalsteinn Þorgbergsson, Director of Information Technology of Iceland Hotel Collection by Berjaya, stated: "As the number of Chinese travelers visiting Iceland continues to rise, our mission is to ensure every guest feels truly welcome. We are thrilled to partner with United TV to offer this essential, familiar amenity. Providing high-quality, native-language entertainment is a key part of our promise to deliver an exceptional, home-away-from-home experience."

About United TV

United TV, delivered by Techlive International, provides a specialist global streaming service offering access to more than 100 international TV channels. What truly sets the service apart in Iceland is its range of exclusive Chinese channels, which cannot be sourced from any other local cloud-based hospitality in-room entertainment. These channels allow hotels to offer content in guests’ native language, helping travellers feel at home from the moment they enter their room.

However, Iceland is known for its unpredictable, fast-changing weather and storms, which can make satellite reception in hotel rooms unreliable.To receive the channels, the team installed a United TV server at Berjaya’s data centre in Reykjavik, which is connected to all hotels via fibre to ensure high-quality streams and exceptional reliability.

About Iceland Hotel Collection by Berjaya

Iceland Hotel Collection by Berjaya offers a wide range of accommodation, restaurants, and spas to cater to a broader clientele, with 14 hotels and seven brands in Reykjavik and across Iceland. They welcome guests from around the world and locals who open the door to the actual Icelandic experience. The company's mission is to remain a leader in hotel operations in Iceland while simultaneously leveraging its strong international connections with Berjaya. (Source: Iceland Hotel Collection).

Creating a Home-Away-From-Home for Chinese Travellers

Iceland is often a busy holiday spot. After a full day of visiting major sites such as the Blue Lagoon, Geysir, and Gullfoss waterfall, Chinese guests need to relax. Providing familiar Chinese TV programmes in their hotel rooms is essential for them to unwind. Therefore, by providing access to Phoenix News and Entertainment and New TV Drama, this helps strengthen their connection to home while travelling abroad.

Ready to Enhance Your Guests’ Experience?

If your hotel group is looking to offer authentic international content or deliver culturally tailored TV experiences for global travellers, get in touch. Based on your guest profile, we offer a selection of channels in key languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Singaporean, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English/American.