LIKE their international counterparts, China’s Millennials are becoming more adventurous and showing a keener interest to embrace local culture and deepen their understanding of destinations travelled to, according to a survey by Mintel.
Some 16 per cent of Chinese holidaymakers are keen to attempt extreme sports, with the figure rising to 25 per cent for men aged 20-24, revealed the London-based market research company.
Out of 28 per cent of China’s urban consumers who travelled overseas last year, 74 per cent of them expressed interest in sampling local food and 52 per cent are keen to experience local traditions. Additionally, 45 per cent are interested to stay in local accommodations and 23 per cent wish to learn local cooking methods.
Chinese consumers view overseas travel as a means to escape from the daily grind, said Linda Li, China senior research analyst at Mintel. Pursuing extreme sports such as bungee jumping and skydiving makes their holidays more memorable and is considered a huge distraction from their normal lives.
The survey reveals that Australia and New Zealand have developed rapidly as an outdoor and extreme sports haven for Chinese travellers in the past two years.
Differences in perceptions also exist between male and female youth holidaymakers, with men preferring cultural immersion while women prefer shopping for local goods.
Furthermore, 47 per cent of respondents listed the availability of Chinese or local payment methods as a concern, followed by 36 per cent who cite Internet access as important. Thirty-four per cent cite the availability of Mandarin-speaking guides as crucial while 30 per cent wished to see Mandarin signage in public areas.
The survey also notes that married consumers are more willing to spend on overseas travel, with 33 per cent of them having embarked on overseas travel compared with just 14 per cent of singles.
Translated from the original TTG China e-Daily, August 24, 2015 article by Ong Yanchun.
