Euromonitor: Increased enthusiasm for travel among Chinese people
Travel has become a core aspect of Chinese consumers’ new and more prosperous lifestyle. China has enjoyed strong economic growth the past few decades and, with that, a growing middle class has emerged. This growing economic class has come with a booming desire to allocate more time and budget on travel, especially outbound and international tourism, resulting in astronomical growth in the number of trips and expenditure taken by the Chinese.
Their enhanced confidence and interest to travel abroad stems from the gradually disappearing language barrier, as well as online research and booking options. Meanwhile, the continuous appreciation of Chinese yuan over the review period during 2010 and 2015 reduced the expense of outbound trips to some extent, encouraging more Chinese consumers to travel internationally. In addition, ever-expanding numbers of international airlines across mainland China, in line with the accelerated construction of international airports, contributed to the strong momentum for outbound trips.
Furthermore, intensified competition among travel agencies, particularly online travel agencies (OTAs), introduced a price war and improved pricing transparency, benefitting consumers and growth of travel. The huge efforts from the destination countries that Chinese tourists travel to have also been a key driving force behind the healthy development of outbound trips. In view of the mounting demand of outbound tourism from China, many destination countries have adjusted their visa application policies, such as decreasing visa fees, simplifying visa application procedures by speeding up and reducing the documentation required, opening more application centers and providing longer term multi-entry visas for regular visitors. Moreover, an increasing number of retailers in the destination countries have started to employ tour guides and salespeople who can speak Chinese to cater to and better serve Chinese tourists.
Download the Report of Euromonitor: “How to Target Chinese Shoppers Abroad”
