Nielsen’s latest China Outbound Travel Monitor reveals that when choosing a leisure destination, Chinese people are following their taste buds as they travel around the world. Not surprisingly, affordability topped the list of key factors (61%) influencing Chinese people’s choice of destination, but good food was a close second with 58 percent of respondents considering it an important factor when choosing a leisure destination…
Nielsen’s latest China Outbound Travel Monitor reveals that when choosing a leisure destination, Chinese people are following their taste buds as they travel around the world. Not surprisingly, affordability topped the list of key factors (61%) influencing Chinese people’s choice of destination, but good food was a close second with 58 percent of respondents considering it an important factor when choosing a leisure destination.
“With limited knowledge about many overseas destinations, Chinese outbound travelers are more likely to visit famous landmarks and major tourist attractions than they are to visit little known or niche regions. But knowing that Chinese people are influenced by good food provides a unique opportunity for marketers to tap into the fact that Chinese are influenced by destinations known for their good food,” said Dr Grace Pan, Head of Travel & Leisure Research, The Nielsen Company China.
As for any traveler, Chinese outbound tourists considered safety to be a very important influencer, with nearly six out of 10 (57%) taking safety into account when choosing a travel destination. “‘Eco and nature’ in fourth place highlights the fact that Chinese consumers are beginning to acknowledge the importance of the environment when selecting a holiday destination.
Following the earlier launch of the Nielsen China Outbound Travel Monitor – Key Cities Report (Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou), the full 26 cities report is now available. This comprehensive annual report was conducted in January and February 2008 through a combination of telephone and online interviews, it provides information on both business and leisure outbound travel intentions for 4,103 travelers in China (2,617 travelers from 23 cities and 1,486 from key cities).
According to the Nielsen China Outbound Travel Monitor, regional differences exist among Chinese outbound travelers in terms of their travel habits, needs and behaviors.
Outbound travel is more popular in South China than in other region; ten percent of South China consumers take outbound trips while in other regions only two percent (North and East) and three percent (West) travel out of China. South China travelers also travel more frequently than other regions, averaging nearly three trips a year. With expenditure of USD 2,597 per trip, the average spending of South China travelers is less than other regions. Moreover, only 10 percent of South China travelers chose to stay at Five Star hotels compared to an average of twelve percent of all Chinese when taking an outbound trip.
By contrast to travelers from the South, travelers from East, North and West China travel less frequently. However, when they do travel, they spent more money per trip and like to travel in comfort by choosing to stay in Five Star hotels. Travelers from North China spend more money per trip than other regions, with USD3,506. More than two out of 10 consumers from East China choose to stay at Five Star hotels compared with a twelve percent national average total.
“With the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, the China Outbound travel market will be increasingly attractive to marketers. To maximize the opportunity, it is critically important for marketers to understand the dynamics of the China market and its tourists,” Dr. Pan stated.
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