China's outbound tourism creates business opportunities for the world

90 million Chinese people will travel abroad in 2013, ranking first in global outbound tourism market. This prediction made by China Outbound Tourism Research Institute shocks the world. Allured by the huge economic benefit, now nearly every country hopes to attract more Chinese tourists. But still many of them don't know how to make it, according to Ken Chu, Member of WTTC and Chairman and CEO of Mission Hills Group, a leading golf brand in the world and synonymous with high-end, luxurious and exquisitely-designed residences.

'If you want to attract more Chinese tourists you should first know the Chinese people’s travel trend and behavior and then offer them different tourism products. In fact there are three fastest growing segments of Chinese travelers that have different travel patterns,' said Ken Chu.

1, Middle Class

China's Middle Class with rise of personal disposable income and educational level expand their travel horizons. China has over 1.3 billion people and China's middle class is about 316 million, accounting for 24% of the total population, which has been already larger than the entire population of the United States (313 million) in 2011, according to Forbes Magazine.

Middle class' consumption trend is leisure-, shopping-, travel- and gourmet-based, according to KPMG Report 2013. 'They are guided tours travelers that travel in big groups where language barrier is eased and travel packages are comprehensive. They are price sensitive and prefer itineraries that encompass multiple destinations, convenient and cost efficiently,' said Ken Chu.

2, Higher Income Groups

China’s fastest and remarkable economic growth globally leads to increase of higher income group in second-, third- and fourth-tier cities: Dalian, Chengdu, Xiamen, Kunming.

According to Hurun Report, China has the largest number of self-made millionaires and billionaires in the world. These people travel aboard 3 times a year and accounts for 62% of luxury purchases in Europe and 33% in the US.

These newfound wealth Chinese travelers prefer guided tours in smaller groups where language barrier is eased but more 'personalized or individualized' itinerary. They display the tendency of hedonism with luxury products & services and brand conscious, said Ken Chu.

3, 'Gen-Y' Chinese travelers (born after 1980)

'Gen-Y' Chinese travelers are highly educated, smart, inquisitive, confident, and with aspirations to explore. Travel has become fashionable for them. Rigid package tours or group travel is not real travel and a signal of ‘inability to explore’.

They are independent young Chinese travelers opt for knowledge-seeking backpacking. They seek for adventurous vacations and leisure trips with authentic experiences, immerse in new culture, interact with locals and spend more time in each destination is more appealing than time-tight itinerary.

Besides there are also some other travels trends of Chinese tourists.

Chinese people like travel together in family groups. Countries with convenient visa policy and Chinese embassy are their first choice. They prefer to include many destinations in one trip.

China has 500 million netizens, that are more than the population of total Europe. Two third of the travellers gain their tourist attractions’ information online. The effect of online comments is three times than offline recommendation.

Chinese travelers are passionate about shopping and always include time for shopping in the travel itinerary.

Chinese tourists do not easily adjust to other cuisine when travelling, Chinese food should be provided throughout the trip.

One person’s travel can create jobs for the other 16. China now is really capable to create these employment opportunities and GDP. Only if foreign countries highly consider and respect the behaviors and trends of outbound Chinese travellers, these countries can have the chance to share the benefits of the development of Chinese tourism.