THE PROFILE of wealthy Chinese travellers is becoming younger, resulting in increasing demand for travel experiences and products that are different from those enjoyed by their older counterparts.
Beijing-based Hua Yang International Business Travel CEO, Kitch Yang, said up to 30 per cent of his high-end clientele consists of travellers aged 40 years and below.
“With the older generation of wealthy Chinese, it is difficult to sell travel products like spa retreats, cruises and resorts,” he said. “The younger travellers are more open to new travel ideas, and we are starting to sell more unique products such as wine tours, which is still a new concept for the Chinese market.”
Beijing’s Sun Pala president, Sun Bo, observed that the younger generation of China’s wealthy was driving the demand for small, boutique hotels.
Silversea Cruises’ expedition voyages to the Arctic Circle, launched in 2009 to target younger, adventure-seeking travellers, last year saw a 150 per cent growth in bookings out of China, compared to the year before, according to the company’s regional director, Melvyn Yap.
“China makes up 30 per cent of our clientele. You would be surprised to know that these Chinese cruise passengers are not from the big commercial Chinese cities. They hail from Shanxi, Zhejiang, Guangzhou and Hangzhou. They are just 35 to 45 years old, and many are self-made entrepreneurs,” said Yap, adding that he expects the same growth in China bookings this year.
Yang said he would continue to focus on the older generation of wealthy Chinese travellers despite the shift in profile. “The young rich are very independent when it comes to researching and purchasing travel online, unlike the older generation, who still depend on travel agents to develop a complete itinerary,” he explained.
