The whole planet turns playground for Chinese tourists

Chinese visitors take photographs of blooming cherry blossom trees in Ueno Park on March 30, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. GETTY IMAGES

Tourists are now season- and activity-conscious, the whole planet is their playground, and destinations abound

Experience, rising disposable incomes and increase in available travel options are making variety-craving Chinese tourists very discerning, and adept at trip planning.

They are aware of seasonal changes and the travel opportunities they bring, prompting leading travel agencies to come up with customized routes.

According to Ctrip.com International Ltd, China's largest online travel agency, winter skiing trips are a big hit among Chinese tourists. Places such as Yabuli, Changbai Mountain and Mohe in northeastern China are popular among skiing enthusiasts this year.

Given Chinese tourists' preference for outbound trips, skiing resorts like Hokkaido in Japan have also become popular winter destinations. So have coastal cities such as Sanya of Hainan province and Xiamen of Fujian province. Islands in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia have always been popular among Chinese tourists.

Of late, Australia in the southern hemisphere has emerged a go-to place for Chinese tourists, thanks to the depreciating Australian dollar and cheaper travel products. This year, tour prices were down 5 percent on-year, according to Ctrip.

Sun Chaoying, 43, a securities firm manager in Shanghai, booked a two-week trip to Australia two months before the Chinese Lunar New Year's Day, which falls on Feb 8 in 2016. Together with her family, Sun plans to leave for Sydney on Feb 10.

"Although Shanghai has been quite warm this winter, the weather in Australia is much more pleasant at this time of the year. More importantly, the air is so much better. We can take a break there while breathing in some fresh air. The situation in Shanghai is not much better than Beijing," she said.

For some smog-weary Chinese travelers, the prospect of pollutant-free air has become the raison d'etre for overseas travel. That's not all. Even travel products tout fresh air to tourists based in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, according to Ctrip.

So, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, the United States and Mauritius are now popular destinations for air-minded Chinese tourists. Besides, Japan, the top destination for Chinese tourists, is also preferred for its fresh air. Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa are expected to receive the biggest chunk of Chinese tourists this winter.