There is considerable growth in the African region however, with countries such as Egypt, South Africa and Kenya enjoying a growth of 36.15 percent in Chinese tourism last year. With beautiful natural landscapes, wild animals and distinctive cultures, African countries have enormous development potential for the tourist market.

    The other main factor limiting Chinese tourism at present is the nature of the country’s holiday system. The prime traveling time is still the handful of national “golden week” holidays, with individual paid vacations yet to make a real impact on the Chinese market.

Shopping Mania

    According to an AC Nielsen survey, Chinese people spend an average of €1,500 in stores during their European tours, surpassing Japanese visitors. Sites like the Champs Elysees and other French shopping areas are paradise for Chinese tourists. According to Agence France Presse, Chinese people now spend €9-10 million in Paris’ Le Printemps department store annually, or about €700 per visitor.

    “A prominent feature of Chinese tourists is that they buy local products and souvenirs when traveling abroad,” said Bei Zheming, vice president of DFS Asia Group. Unfamiliar with brands and prices in other countries, tourists used to be easily influenced by tour guides, but as Chinese people’s travel experiences have accumulated, they have become more savvy. Some young white-collar workers even base their travel plans on shopping. Miss Wang enjoys shopping in Hong Kong around Christmas, and has found summer and Spring Festival are also good chances to shop there. And the “Great Singapore Sale” is held annually from May to July. Some young globe-trotters have even become expert in which shopping malls offer the best prices on which goods. Tiffany’s in Hong Kong is the cheapest in Asia, while Petronas in the Twin Towers in Malaysia offer the world’s cheapest prices on Bobbi Brown cosmetics.

Improving Behavior

    The behavior of Chinese tourists has sometimes been hard for other cultures to accept. Whether it is at the Louvre in Paris, Westminster Abbey in London, or Manneken Pis in Brussels, Chinese tourists swarm in front of sights to take holiday snaps. These are not the only places where crowds of Chinese tourists form. Louis Vuitton only allow foreign passport holders to purchase a certain number of items at short notice, so some Chinese visitors wait at the store’s entrance, trying to persuade other tourists to help them purchase more goods. And the loud-speaking habits of some Chinese tourists have led to some hotels in Europe setting aside special areas for Chinese guests.

    In October 2006, the Chinese government launched a program to promote manners among Chinese travelers, issuing rules of behavior for those going abroad. China Eastern Airlines, the China International Travel Service and the China Youth Travel Service have all dedicated funds to demonstrating polite behavior and enhancing tourists’ sense of etiquette. Statistics show that the behavior of Chinese citizens abroad is improving. In fact, Chinese tourists have earned a good reputation in some countries. The Scandinavian Tourist Board reported that the quality of Chinese visitors is good: they are increasingly international in outlook and their standard of English has improved. Like many other governments and organizations globally, the Scandinavian Tourism Board now warmly welcomes Chinese travelers.