Travel and tourism players eager to attract more Chinese travellers should pay attention to the uniqueness of different provinces of China, where holiday periods are different from and supplementary to national dates.
Speaking at the PATA Knowledge Forum on the topic of Navigating the New Era of Chinese Tourism, Michael Zhou, president of Guilin Tang Dynasty Tour, said targeting Chinese travellers outside of the major national public holiday periods would allow travel and tourism businesses and destinations to build demand during traditional low seasons.
Michael Zhou speaking on the topic of Navigating the New Era of Chinese Tourism at the PATA Knowledge Forum
Zhou explained that the vastness of China and the different cultures of each region mean people celebrate different festivals throughout the year. In Guangxi, a southern region of China, people celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival on the third day of the third month on the Lunar calendar.
“People often take four or five days of leave then,” he said. “We need to think about how we can promote travel in March or November (when Chinese outbound traffic is typically slower).”
Zhou added that travel and tourism businesses and destination marketers should also study the seasons of different parts of China.
Northern China, for example, has bitterly cold and long winters, which drive locals to escape to warmer destinations for holidays. Tropical Thailand is often a popular choice, observed Zhou, adding that suitable products and programmes should be developed for the Chinese northerners long before winter arrives.
He added: “Many people living deep in the mainland have never seen (beaches) before. For them, opportunities to stroll down the seashore, enjoy the sea breeze, and dig into seafood can probably be the best time of their life.”
He also urged travel and tourism players to take their promotions deeper into the Chinese market, beyond the usual first-tier cities. Xi’an, Chengdu and Chongqing, for example, have millions of residents with the ability and keenness to take a holiday in South-east Asian destinations.
He encouraged the use of local social media, such as Xiaohongshu or Douyin, for promotions, as these platforms are popular among the young.
Travel and tourism players eager to attract more Chinese travellers should pay attention to the uniqueness of different provinces of China, where holiday periods are different from and supplementary to national dates.
Speaking at the PATA Knowledge Forum on the topic of Navigating the New Era of Chinese Tourism, Michael Zhou, president of Guilin Tang Dynasty Tour, said targeting Chinese travellers outside of the major national public holiday periods would allow travel and tourism businesses and destinations to build demand during traditional low seasons.
Zhou explained that the vastness of China and the different cultures of each region mean people celebrate different festivals throughout the year. In Guangxi, a southern region of China, people celebrate the Sanyuesan Festival on the third day of the third month on the Lunar calendar.
“People often take four or five days of leave then,” he said. “We need to think about how we can promote travel in March or November (when Chinese outbound traffic is typically slower).”
Zhou added that travel and tourism businesses and destination marketers should also study the seasons of different parts of China.
Northern China, for example, has bitterly cold and long winters, which drive locals to escape to warmer destinations for holidays. Tropical Thailand is often a popular choice, observed Zhou, adding that suitable products and programmes should be developed for the Chinese northerners long before winter arrives.
He added: “Many people living deep in the mainland have never seen (beaches) before. For them, opportunities to stroll down the seashore, enjoy the sea breeze, and dig into seafood can probably be the best time of their life.”
He also urged travel and tourism players to take their promotions deeper into the Chinese market, beyond the usual first-tier cities. Xi’an, Chengdu and Chongqing, for example, have millions of residents with the ability and keenness to take a holiday in South-east Asian destinations.
He encouraged the use of local social media, such as Xiaohongshu or Douyin, for promotions, as these platforms are popular among the young.