The number of outbound Chinese travellers is expected to grow steadily, but Asia-Pacific will be the main beneficiary of their increased spending power, according to a recent survey.
The Greater China region and mainland China in particular have been less affected by the economic climate than last year, according to a May 2010 survey by Visa and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), with 50 percent of the 1,571 people polled saying that they will travel irrespective of the economic situation, up from 24 percent last year.
Chinese travellers plan 7.4 international trips in the next two years, up from 7.2 trips in the past two years. Hongkong’s figures are 0.1 percent down over the past two years at 5.6 trips, while Taiwan’s figures remain the same for the past and next two years at 4.5 international trips.
Visits to the Asia-Pacific are forecast to drop slightly from 92 percent to 83 percent, compared with the two previous years, while trips to Asia only will drop from 90 percent to 74 percent in the same period.
Trips to Western Europe will likely grow from 15 percent to 30 percent in the next two years, and to North America from 23 percent to 29 percent. The UK will be a hotspot for travellers, with figures up from 10 percent to 16 percent.
Australia will be the most popular destination for mainland Chinese with 53 percent planning a trip there in the next two years. This trend shows the growing importance of Australia as a study destination.
For Hongkong and mainland Chinese travellers food is clearly the priority followed by exotic destinations and culture, while the Taiwanese market relegates food to second place after exotic destinations.
Mainland Chinese travellers are attracted to scenery, sea, sun and sand and new places, and are influenced by travel deals and promotions. Hongkong travellers are driven by food, with scenery and new places following that. However, travel deals and price of travel are important to them. Taiwanese are most interested in the scenery of new places, but are sensitive to pricing as well.
The survey also reports that too many people trust their luck rather then taking out a travel insurance, and almost everyone changes too much money for the trip, rather than use their credit cards.
For more details, visit www.visa.com and www.pata.org
Andrea Zavadszky
