In the near future, the sight of groups of Chinese tourists following their tour guides around to the most beautiful tourist attractions could well become a thing of the past. Young and wealthy Chinese citizens fascinated by technology and with a desire to experience individual forms of travel are no longer taking the kind of trips once popular with many Chinese people.

According to the latest ITB World Travel Trends Report, Chinese citizens’ travel habits are undergoing huge change. In order to keep up with the ever-increasing number of Chinese tourists the international travel industry must tailor its services to meet the demands of China’s new generation of tourists. Chinese speaking staff, typical Chinese dishes, and communicating via China’s popular social media channels could well be the recipes for success. 

The economic boom is the driving force behind Chinese citizens’ desire to travel. Well-educated young professionals in particular are benefiting from the economic boom and can afford to take international trips which focus on experiencing something new. The demand is for high-quality service rather than low-cost group tours.

China’s tourists want to experience individual travel. While visiting as many attractions as possible remains an important part of a tour, factors such as relaxation and entertainment have now moved further up the wish list. For many Chinese people shopping is still one of their favourite activities when travelling abroad. One indicator of this is the average amount of money they spend per visit, which has now reached double-digit figures.

In order for the travel industry to be acknowledged by Chinese tourists it must meet their specific requests and demands and respect their local culture and customs. Chinese speaking staff and audio guides in museums ensure that tourists feel welcome. For many travellers, additional comforts such as a kettle in one’s room for preparing snacks in between meals or Chinese dishes on the hotel restaurant menu are seen as respecting their culture.

Baidu instead of Facebook 

Tour operators should also take the needs and habits of Chinese people into account on their websites. Individual information pertaining to the market as well as links to Chinese search engines such as Baidu are what is required, instead of simply translating one’s own content. Websites should be hosted in China to enable a quick response to any censorship activities. Furthermore, they should not contain any links to websites which are banned in China, such as Facebook or YouTube.

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