Ctrip: Chinese Prefers Travelling For Luxury Across Europe
Ctrip.com International reported that Europe is the preferred travel destination of about 11 percent of Chinese outbound tourists in 2018. The report said that Chinese tourists spent at an average of $1,762 per person on their trips to the continent last year.
The rich history and attractive culture and places attract tourists from all over the globe. The continent is now ranked in the second place as the most popular continent for travelers in Asia as it benefits from short-haul flights during shorter holidays. According to the report, only 4 percent of Chinese outbound travelers are attracted in going to the United States last year.
The report said that the average spending of Chinese tourists in Europe declined from the previous year because of lower long-haul flight costs. Crip said that customized itineraries and tours to Europe rose by 147 percent year-on-year. The average cost of the trips reached $373 per person each day. It also reported that near 80 percent of its customers booked 4- or 5-star products for their trips. The 2018 Europe Travel Report published by the China Tourism Academy, a government research institute, said that 60 percent of Chinese tourists to the continent are women.
The data shows that the Europe-China Tourism Year is a success. The partnership boosted the tourism of many European nations including Croatia and Hungary. However, trips to Europe have only increased by 1.7 percent from 2017 despite the growing numbers to specific countries. the report noted that currently, there are more than 600 weekly flights between China and the European destinations that will accommodate the traveler volume.
Luxury retailers enjoyed a lot on tourism spending as tourism increased to some destination like the United Kingdom and France. The year-end earnings released by Burberry showed an increase in Chinese tourist spending at its United Kingdom stores. The increase in Chinese tourist spending in some parts of Europe counters the claim that they are spending less on shopping to spend more on experiences while traveling. Recently, Luxury retailers in Europe including the La Rinascente in Italy, and Galeries Lafayette in Paris started accepting Chinese mobile payment options including Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Over the last year, non-European countries that implement visa-free stays for Chinese tourists that includes Albania and Bosnia benefited much from tourism last year. Overall, the travel industry declined in Chinese group tours over the past year. Ctrip, however, saw a 27 percent year-on-year increase in tour booking to Europe in 2018.
