Newly affluent Chinese travel abroad
Print Edition
CHINESE travel agencies and research institutes estimate that more than 7 million people are expected to travel overseas during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.
During the 40-day travel rush from Monday to March 1, nearly 3 billion journeys will be made as people set off for family gatherings or tours.
The Spring Festival public holiday lasts from February 4 to 10.
About 48 percent of flights passengers take during the travel rush have hometowns as destinations, said Zou Jianjun, a professor with the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China.
Others will make transfers or spend the Chinese New Year away from home.
Popular tourist destinations both in China and overseas are expected to see an increase in visitors, he said.
Chinese people are expected to visit 900 cities across more than 90 countries and regions, bringing a “golden week” to the world, according to Ctrip, a Shanghai-based online travel agency.
Booking for tours to Thailand, Indonesia and Mauritius have increased dramatically, the agency said. There has also been a 50 percent price increase for tours to overseas winter resorts in Japan and Nordic countries.
According to China Tourism Academy, Chinese people made 5.5 billion domestic trips in 2018, up 10.76 percent year on year. Outbound travelers totaled 140 million last year, up 13.5 percent.
“A growing number of Chinese are traveling to celebrate the new year,” said Li Qiuyan, public relations chief of Shanghai-based travel agency Lvmama.
The agency has seen a surge in bookings for the festival season, even though prices are 30-50 percent higher than usual.
A more affluent population in China is more willing to pay for an escape from everyday life. Skiing, fishing on ice, and tours to see ice sculpture in northeast China, such as Changbai Mountain and Harbin, draw an increasing number of visitors from Shanghai, Guangzhou and other southern cities.
Cultural elements are also important when people plan their tours. Museums, heritage sites and folk art experiences are the new necessary outings.
The Gulangyu Islet in Xiamen City, Mount Huangshan in Anhui Province, and Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum in Chengdu are popular destinations for the coming festival.
“The changes in travel preferences show that people increasingly value self-cultivation, both physically and culturally,” said Dai Bin, China Tourism Academy’s president.
The academy’s latest report said that last year, growth in tourist spending outpaced the growth in the number of trips, which means an increase in per capita spending.
Industry analysts say the new trends in demand have driven supply-side reforms, both at home and abroad.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said it would develop more routes featuring sports and outdoor activities for the Chinese New Year.
Shanghai tourism authorities have promoted winter jogging activities and cultural tours in their new tour guide.
The Palace Museum, in downtown Beijing, unveiled a grand exhibition for royal new year celebrations in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Travel agencies are also offering more regional trips, taking advantage of newly opened regional rail routes, such as the ones from Harbin to Mudanjiang and from Hangzhou to Huangshan.
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