Sun and sand is where the wealthy from Chinese mainland head

Citizens play along the beach of Haidian Island in Haikou, capital city of South China's Hainan province, July 1, 2015. A total of 12 cities and counties in Hainan witnessed high temperatures of over 37 degrees centigrade. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beach is where affluent Chinese mainland families like to spend their vacations, according to a Visa Affluent Study report released on Wednesday.

It said that 55 percent of the rich in the Chinese mainland head to sun and sand, putting them ahead of other wealthy vacationers in Asia-Pacific. Indonesians at 51 percent are ranked second and Indians at 47 percent occupy the third spot on the list.

The affluent from Chinese mainland and Singapore are the most frequent travelers, averaging 3.1 trips per year.

According to the report, 4,000 people with average household annual revenue of $73,000 were surveyed in eight areas: Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Korea.

Forty-four percent said relaxing on the beach was the favorite activity while 36 percent chose shopping and 35 percent preferred exploring the landmarks on their own.

As for accommodation, only 39 percent of the wealthy prefer luxury hotels. About half of them said they choose upscale hotels and 35 percent pick mid-scale hotels.

At 70 percent, the rich from Chinese mainland form the majority of those who choose upscale hotels.