Chinese set to be world's second biggest travellers

The Chinese tourism market is creeping closer to the volume of US travellers, expected to shoot up from its sixth position on the world’s travel and tourism sector list in 2008 to second place by 2020.

According to a Business Consulting Group (BSG) survey, over the next nine years Chinese travellers will be the third highest into North America, figures will quadruple into Europe and will reach a quarter of all visitors into Japan and South Korea.

The report stressed that over the next ten years there will be up to 25 million first-time Chinese travellers, up to 70,000 every day spending money on outbound travel.“China’s rapidly growing demand for travel, together with the lack of suitable offerings in a fragmented market, presents a rare opportunity for innovative early movers,” the report read.

BCG Hong-Kong based partner Vincent Lui said hotel companies across the world face the challenge of meeting specific needs of the Chinese traveller, “who tend to be younger than travellers in the West, less experienced, and more likely to take longer trips with large groups of friends”.

Survey respondents said they were dissatisfied by both domestic and international services, and rated their hotel stays on their last domestic vacation of lacking and rated premium hotels the lowest.However, another BCS senior parent Hubert Hsu said few companies are taking the initiative to respond to the needs of Chinese travellers.

“Caissa, a Beijing-based travel agency, and Costa Cruises, an international cruise company, have successfully tailored their offerings to specific income segments; Club Med is gaining brand loyalty in China by nurturing customer relationships,” he noted.

“Ctrip, a leading travel website, is offering sorely needed hassle-free travel planning; and Shanghai Spring Tour is targeting travelers from smaller cities.”Up to 4,250 Chinese travellers were surveyed on domestic, outbound, business and leisure travel in up to 15 cities.

Source = etravelblackboard.asia