Tasting out the local cuisine and seeing famous sites were the top priority, says the survey
China Market Expert, Nan Dai, recently presented the ForwardKeys findings about China travel, domestic and international for Q2 with Dragon Trail International. Chinese travellers have started to travel abroad but are still preferring destinations within the APAC region, according to a study by ForwardKeys.
Labour Day Holiday in China
Macau remains a favourite in Asia, with an 11 pc increase on 2019 levels
ForwardKeys’ flight ticket data insights state that domestic travel has grown by 233 pc while bookings for overseas departures on April 28 reach 79 pc of 2019 levels. In general, aircraft reservations for domestic travel for Labour Day are 10 pc higher. With increases of 59 pc and 22 pc, respectively, Chengdu and Chongqing have seen a noticeable growth in popularity. Meanwhile, demand has increased by 50 pc and 26 pc, respectively, in Haikou and Sanya, two popular getaways famous for their sun, sea, and duty-free shopping.
The study says that Macau remains a favourite in Asia, leading the popular outbound destination’s list with an 11 pc increase on 2019 levels. While Jakarta is currently 9 pc ahead of 2019 bookings, Maldives secures the fourth spot with an 84 pc recovery. Popular beach destination Phuket is also at the top of the list with a 53 pc recovery. Sun and sea destinations are having mass appeal now, acting as a major drawcard for Chinese tourists. Additionally, Chinese travellers can easily apply for a travel permit to Macau and Hong Kong, or any other city on the list as they provide visa-free or visa-on-arrival options for Chinese travellers.
Consumer sentiment key indicators
According to a survey by Dragon Trail International, travel plans for 2023 are still mostly undetermined. There is a great deal of uncertainty, and travel brands have the possibility to influence consumer choices. Another 27 pc are undecided as to whether they will travel abroad by the end of 2023, while 26 pc say they hope to but haven’t yet planned a trip. Meanwhile, safety is the biggest concern holding back Chinese travellers, a concern which can be addressed directly by tourism brands.
The top motivations to visit, however, are for the local cuisine, attractions, and activities. According to the survey, tasting out the local cuisine and seeing famous sites were the top priority, each selected by 56 pc of respondents. 52 percent indicated they wished to interact with the community.
It continues by stating that resorts (31 pc), home-sharing lodgings like Airbnb (29 pc), and boutique hotels (32 pc), are all common alternatives for outbound Chinese tourists. There isn’t much of a difference between three (26 pc), four (27 pc), and five-star (23 pc) hotels in terms of attraction between mid- and high-end accommodations.
China outbound outlook
According to a survey by ForwardKeys, the international seat capacity for Q2 stands at 42 pc of pre-pandemic levels while more destinations look to improve their flight connectivity with China. The APAC region currently has the largest share at 81 pc, with a recovery rate of 43 pc in Q2. The Africa and Middle East region is expected to experience the largest growth, with a 75 pc increase in Q2, although it currently only accounts for 6 pc of total international capacity from China. The United Arab Emirates is the most well connected destination in this region, holding a 44 pc share, while the number of seats between China and Kenya has doubled since 2019, and seats between China and Egypt have increased by 10 pc on 2019’s levels
