PRICE is a major factor in travel decisions for Chinese travellers, according to a recent publication by Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research, which also studied the Chinese tourist’s preferences in destinations, activities and accommodation.
Cornell’s Preferences and Attitudes of Chinese Outbound Travelers was based on interviews with 51 Chinese tour operators, who observed that Chinese leisure travellers prefer package travel because of the convenience and reasonable prices.
Package price thus emerged as the number one factor in making travel decisions, followed by red tape in obtaining a visa. For instance, South Korea remains a popular destination for the Chinese due to the visa waiver programme to Jeju Island and the availability of multiple-entry visas. The cumbersome US visa application process, on the other hand, was cited as the biggest stumbling block in demand for the longhaul destination.
Meanwhile, Bali, South Korea, Hawaii and Japan were expected to hold the most appeal and growth prospects for the Chinese traveller over the next five years, from a choice of 10 Asia-Pacific destinations.
Internationally, almost 75 per cent of respondents said Europe would become increasingly popular with the Chinese, followed by North America, Australia and the Middle East.
The Internet was named the most influential channel when it came to picking a destination. The Cornell study quoted the TNS Digital Life report, which said Chinese residents trust information gleaned from social media three times more than recommendations from friends and family.
Respondents also expect that shopping would grow the most over time, due to a culture of gift-giving, followed by beach and cultural tourism.
For accommodation, the Chinese preferred full-service, urban hotels, said the report, explaining that it was “a matter of efficiency” that tour groups wanted hotels that served breakfast, while also detailing their preferred bathroom amenities (dual sinks, shower, separate makeup vanity to reduce waiting time for bathroom facilities) and in-room amenities (tea and coffee-making facilities, Wi-Fi and Internet availability). A swimming pool was the top resort amenity, followed by a business centre and spa facilities.
