Zoomers on the move in China
China Trading Desk’s latest 15,000-person report shows the continued growth in Chinese outbound travel volumes and that Chinese tourists are increasingly opting for more luxurious accommodations and longer trips booked later and later.
According to China Trading Desk’s Q3 China Outbound Travel Sentiment Survey, 130 million Chinese are predicted to travel abroad this year – a 28% rise over 2023 but still 25 million below pre-pandemic levels – with 200 million Chinese to travel outside the country by 2028.
The report found that college-educated women from Tier One cities comprise the largest share of Chinese foreign travellers.
Zoomer women are particularly adventurous, comprising 72% of Gen-Z travellers and continuing to lead Chinese outbound travel trends.
Subramania Bhatt, founder of digital marketing and research firm China Trading Desk, said: “China’s travellers are evolving – seeking quality, flexibility, and experience-driven adventures. This survey offers valuable insights for businesses eager to engage with this influential market worldwide.”
Key points from the survey:
Last-minute planning dominates
73% of respondents plan to book their trips within a month of departure, underscoring the ongoing uncertainty and preference for flexibility in travel planning. This trend is particularly pronounced among Gen Z travellers, with nearly half planning their holidays within two weeks of departure.
Longer holidays preferred
The preference for longer trips is increasing, with 80.3% of travellers now choosing to spend between five and 15 days abroad. This marks a sharp decline in the preference for shorter holidays, down to 10% from 19.3% in the last quarter.
Preference for premium
A significant 64% of travellers now prefer accommodations rated four stars and above, with price, location, and amenities being the top factors influencing booking decisions.
Japan’s rising popularity
After losing its lustre with Chinese tourists in 2023, Japan has seen a return in popularity, jumping from the sixth to the third most preferred destination, trailing only Singapore and Thailand. The surge is attributed to favourable exchange rates, making it an attractive option for Chinese travellers.
Decline in first-timers
The share of first-time outbound travellers has decreased by 24.4% from 2Q2024, now accounting for 44% of respondents. This marks a significant drop from a peak of 64% in 3Q2023, reflecting Chinese travellers’ growing experience and confidence as international borders remain open.
Digital channels lead
Travel apps Xiaohongshu and Douyin remain the top channels for trip planning, used by over 50% of respondents. However, WeChat has seen a slight uptick in usage, suggesting that Chinese travellers increasingly utilise official accounts and videos on the platform for travel planning.
Shift in payment methods
While UnionPay remains the dominant payment method for outbound trips, there has been a noticeable increase in the use of Visa and MasterCard, with a growth of approximately 6.3%, indicating a broader acceptance of international payment options.
Alipay+ pays off for partners
An expanding merchant coverage and a strong travel recovery has helped Alipay+ with a surge in transactions globally.
Alipay+ enables travellers to use their familiar home payment app and pay like a local when overseas
Alipay+’s mobile payment partners from around the world have also seen significant growth. In the first nine months of 2024, the number of people using an Alipay+ payment partner apps while abroad increased by three times, and the number of transactions increased by more than three times.
As of October 2024, Alipay+ has more than 30 payment partners, including leading e-wallets and bank apps from Asia and beyond, with 1.6 billion consumers, connecting consumers to more than 90 million merchants in 66 markets.
Tourism boards and merchants can use A+Rewards, a customisable destination marketing platform, to increase visibility of local attractions, shops and travel information even before a trip starts.
In South-east Asia, where Alipay+ is widely accepted, the number of claimed destination vouchers from A+Rewards increased by 53% across key campaigns in 2024.
Saudi LCC back in holiday business
Low-cost Saudi carrier flynas, has relaunched its leisure and holidays platform, available in six languages and more than 20 different supported currencies,
The relaunch has been accomplished in partnership with HBX Group, and Onlinetravel, a B2B2C technology company which provides packages and stand-alone booking engines to more than 1,000 clients worldwide.
The new package holiday division of flynas iwill provide a full range of products from five-star hotels to small boutique properties in all destinations served by flynas, in addition to offering airport transfers, a wide selection of experiences and activities.
The new platform, available in Arabic, English, French, German, Turkish, and Russian, comes with exclusive offers to passengers, where they can save up to 40% on holiday packages, in addition to the Umrah packages, which include low-cost flights from more than 30 destinations and budget-friendly hotels near Haram.
Baidu shifts gears in robotaxi wars
China’s internet giant Baidu is preparing to roll out its Apollo Go robotaxi service in international markets, with Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East first to see the vehicles.
Baidu is looking beyond China’s borders to counter stiff competition – including that from Tesla – in the autonomous driving market.
Launched in 2019, Apollo Go has since grown into one of China’s largest autonomous ride-hailing services. Over the last five years, the platform has expanded to more than 10 cities, offering fully driverless rides in major urban centres.
Image credit: KrASIA