China’s outbound tourism market shows no signs of slowing

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Online travel agent Ctrip and China Tourism Academy (CTA) have released a joint report on China’s outbound market for 1H2018.

In 1H2018, Chinese travellers made 71.3 million outbound trips, a 15% year-on-year increase.

A Chinese guide taking photos for Chinese tourists in Phi Phi Island in Thailand; Thailand is currently the largest outbound destination for Chinese tourists

The top 20 outbound travel departure cities are Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Wuhan, Xi ‘an, Hangzhou, Kunming, Tianjin, Changsha, Zhengzhou, Nanchang, Guiyang, Jinan, Hefei, Nanning and Fuzhou.

The top 10 departure cities with the highest year-on-year growth were Xi’an (180%), Guiyang (175%), Nanchang (162%), Kunming (155%), Zhengzhou (146%), Taiyuan (123%), Chongqing (120%), Jinan (115%), Hefei (110%), Changzhou (107%).

The report also revealed that the average spent per person for outbound travel during 1H2018 was RMB5,200 (US$759). The top 10 cities where their residents spent the most are Changchun (RMB6,949), Wenzhou (RMB6,704), Beijing (RMB6,494), Dalian (RMB6,352), Shenyang (RMB6,303), Shanghai (RMB6,160), Harbin (RMB6,134), Xiamen (RMB6,036), Qingdao (RMB5,955) and Suzhou (RMB5,794).

Thailand is currently the largest outbound tourist destination for Chinese tourists, with Japan in second position. In 1H2018, more than four million Chinese tourists visited Japan, up 23.6%, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

The other destinations in the top 10 list are Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, the US and Cambodia.

The demographics of China’s outbound travellers were 53% female and 47% male, with the post-80s the backbone of outbound tourism at 31 per cent. The report also found that Chinese tourists are still keen on group travel, where 54% opted for Ctrip’s 4 diamond tour packages and 29% for 5 diamond tour packages.

However, a new trend has emerged, where the number of tourists signed up for Ctrip’s private and customised trips saw a 300% year-on-year increase.

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