CHINAHOY

HOME

2014-June-23

Chinese Tourism Fever

Edouard Ettedgui, chief executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, was amazed by the fast change in Chinese people’s tastes – their demands for travel, culture and recreation have rapidly soared.

Richard Solomons said that the rise of many small and medium-sized Chinese cities spell fresh opportunities for InterContinental Hotels. The group has operated in China for over three decades, and it is now widely acknowledged that a brand with high recognition in China is likely to have a parallel advantage overseas.

 

Young Travelers

Although the middle class has been regarded as the major boost for Chinese tourism, some companies have shifted focus to young people who prefer individual and self-guided tours. Many young people in China enjoy travelling alone, even though they still present a small market share. Data show that young backpackers account for about 30 percent of Chinese tourists. Nevertheless, young people are trendsetters and pushers of emerging leisure products and recreations.

In response to this trend, Shanghai Spring International Travel Services has introduced a package aimed at young tourists that features “cheap tickets but luxury accommodation.”

“Travelers who select Spring Airlines can buy tickets at 30 percent off, allowing a higher budget for hotels with better quality. The market response is pretty good,” said Spring’s Vice President Xiao Qianhui.

In addition, the Internet has changed the tourism consumption model and the way of traveling. Online tourism services have become a growth point of e-commerce.

According to Zhuang Chenchao, co-founder and CEO of www.qunar.com, the tourism e-commerce platform has many young users, about 30 percent of whom are college students or fresh graduates who prefer to try new things and new patterns. Some young Chinese are in no hurry to find work after graduation, preferring to see the world first. They hope that travel agents can provide them with the planning and traveling experience they want.

Ctrip.com is another tourism e-commerce platform favored by young travelers. According to Fan Min, co-founder of the website, many young people choose to solve travel problems via the Internet. “Although tourism for young people is not a big industry chain, it has promising prospects,” said Fan, who believed that the tourism industry should also change its image and ways of thinking to attract more young people.

 

      1   2   3