Report lifts lid on Chinese 'super traveler' trends

Hurun Report and ILTM Asia jointly released The Chinese Luxury Traveler 2015, a report on the travel trends of Chinese high net worth individuals, also known as HNWIs, who made up of 65 percent of China's outbound travelers last year.

The report, which was released on Monday and is in its fifth year, included respondents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan for the first time.

The 2015 edition surveyed nearly 300 "super luxury travelers", who had, on average, each worked or studied overseas for two years, visited 27 countries and spent $58,000 annually on trips per family.

The average age of respondents was 40 and nearly half of them were male.

Chinese outbound tourists reached a staggering 116 million in 2014, an increase of 17.8 percent from the previous year, according to statistics from the China Tourism Academy.

Last year, Chinese tourists spent $140 billion, up 18 percent from a year earlier, according to the academy.

The academy said it holds relatively optimistic expectations for the tourism economy in 2015, predicting that China will see 135 million outbound journeys made.

The survey indicates that travel remains the most popular leisure pursuit for the HNWI group, also referred to as super travelers in the report.

On average, they increased their travel days during the past year from 18 to 20, and the average family consumption reached $58,000 for the year, or $22,580 per person.

The choice of travel destinations for the super travelers will increase in variety in the future, and will not be limited to traditional shopping, eating and sightseeing trips, but will shift to the experience of unique human experiences and innovations, the report said.

The popularity of the North and South Poles as travel destinations increases each year, netting an average expenditure of $19,300 per person.

Of the 300 Chinese super tourists who traveled last year, 100 made the journey to the North or South Pole. Nearly half of them said they were attracted by the mystical landscapes.

The South Pole was reported as the destination that left the deepest impression on respondents last year and was the most frequented destination this spring.

The report found that the Maldives grew in popularity as a resort destination for wealthy Chinese people, while Australia retained its top position as a favorite destination, with France a firm second.

Europe remained the most desirable destination for the next three years, followed by the United States, according to the survey.

The US was where more than half of the HNWI travelers visited most frequently, but it is worth noting that for many wealthy Chinese, the US is a business destination, rather than a desirable leisure travel location.

The report said other hot overseas tourist destinations include Africa, the North and South Poles and Oceania and the Pacific Islands, with exotic charm, unique regional features and the idea of paradises for exploration and adventure cited as reasons for their allure.

Within China, Sanya in Hainan province was ranked as the top travel destination for the fifth consecutive year, with Tibet autonomous region coming in second and Hong Kong third.

Yunnan province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Macao all dropped in their rankings.

Taiwan, Shanghai and Xiamen, in Fujian province, were all on the top 10 list for the first time.

Leisure travel and seeing the world were the most commonly reported motives for travel among HNWIs during the next three years.

The Spring Festival holiday was peak season for family tours, while most respondents said they chose to travel in off-peak times - the top choice was during summer holidays.

When it comes to the number of trips, the surveyed travelers said they hoped to go on 2.5 trips a year on average. Those who said they wanted to go on less than five trips reached a high of 95 percent. Among them, 57 percent said they preferred one to two trips a year. This shows that they value the quality of travels more than the quantity, the report said.

More than half of the respondents chose their own destinations.

The influence of travel agencies showed a dramatic increase from the previous year, with more respondents opting for the agencies' standard trips.

The preference for self-planned holidays declined last year, from 42 percent to 21 percent.

Some 60 percent of respondents stated that they put great emphasis on customized services and well-planned itineraries.

At the same time, HNWI tourists also expect agencies to provide unique, innovative travel experiences, with 41 percent of respondents indicating a preference for innovative itineraries and 36 percent ranking specialized resources available through agents as a high priority.

Hotel reservations were mostly made through travel agencies, accounting for more than half of bookings.

The range of hotels the HNWI tourists opt for has grown increasingly diverse. The Peninsula ranked highest, followed by Mandarin Oriental Hotels.

The Shangri-La, the most popular with the HNWI group for the past 11 years, dropped to fifth place this year.

WeChat, a popular instant messaging app, overtook e-mail to become the most desirable add-on function for a cellphone, with its public page being the most widely accessed source for travel news.

Chinese tourists have sat firmly atop the chart for international travel and shopping in the past five years, accounting for 35 percent of the market.

Europe led the pack of duty-free shopping destinations, with the majority, 22 percent of respondents, specifying France as the best place.

About 54 percent of items bought by the Chinese tourists surveyed when abroad were fashion and clothing products.

Air China and Emirates were the most frequently used airline membership cards, according to the report.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

Sanya in Hainan province topped Chinese travel destinations, according to The Chinese Luxury Traveler 2015. Jiang Jurong / for China Daily

(China Daily 06/02/2015 page7)