OUTBOUND Chinese travellers are splurging on skiing holiday overseas, driven by the higher prices at home.
According to a report on outbound ski travel, entrance fees for China’s ski resorts are higher than those in Europe despite featuring gentler slopes, smaller parks and fewer cable cars.
Hidden China Beijing Office head, Christoph Mueller, explained that as skiing is a relatively pricey sport in China, outbound travellers, who have higher purchasing power, are willing to spend RMB25,000 (US$4,063) to RMB35,000 per trip on average.
Skiing is usually one highlight out of a typical 10-day itinerary that also includes sightseeing and shopping.
Neighbouring Japan is the most popular skiing destination for the Chinese while Canada, with its strong commercial and ethnic ties with China, comes in second. Europe has yet to feature as a top skiing destination.
Industry players interested in wooing the China market should offer holistic packages for non-FITs, and for a fixed price include basic services such as airport pick-ups, guided tours in Mandarin, and 10-day itineraries detailing three days of skiing, three days of sightseeing, and two days of shopping and spa treatments.
Pandering to visual and aesthetic considerations, publicity materials for China’s outbound ski vacation market could feature smiley faces, scenery and gentle skiing slopes, as China’s skiers are novices particularly concerned about safety.
According to the same report, China’s skiing population numbers closer to 15 million than the officially reported 20 million, with the majority being novice skiers rather than experts.
Sales reports also note the sale of 100,000 pairs of skis annually, implying an estimated 20,0000 to 30,0000 outbound travellers genuinely motivated by skiing.
Article by Nadia Chung. Translated by Ong Yanchun from the original TTG China e-Daily, August 21, 2014.
