Chinese tourists traveled overseas on 131 million occasions in 2017, an increase of 7.0% from the previous year. Data from the International Association of Tour Managers shows that overseas travel spending by Chinese tourists reached USD 261.1 billion in 2016, an increase of 4.5% year-on-year, and ranking first worldwide.
Chinese Police have been brought to Rome and Milan to help communicate with Chinese tourists
Chinese are about 10% of all international tourism travel.
Americans took 32 million overseas flights.
Chinese tourists became the number one spenders in 2012. They are now double US tourism spending.
International tourist arrivals grew by 7% in 2017 to reach a total of 1,322 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. This strong momentum is expected to continue in 2018 at a rate of 4%-5%.
Tour operators and attractions are making themselves “China-ready” by providing information in Mandarin or Cantonese and adapting their products for the Chinese market and culture.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects 7.8 billion passengers to travel in 2036, a near doubling of the 4 billion air travelers in 2017.
If there was pro-air travel and pro-tourism developments then the number of passenger trips could triple by 2036.
The point at which China will displace the United States as the world’s largest aviation market is now expected to be 2022. This is two years earlier than forecasted in 2016 through a combination of slightly faster Chinese growth and slightly reduced growth in the US. The UK will fall to fifth place, surpassed by India in 2025, and Indonesia in 2030. Thailand and Turkey will enter the top ten largest markets, while France and Italy will fall in the rankings to 11th and 12th respectively.
Chinese tourists like shopping and scenic sites
The discounted fashion utopia of Bicester Village (England) is as popular with Chinese visitors to Britain as Buckingham Palace.
Outlet and luxury malls in Italy and other countries can be as popular for Chinese tourist as the traditional tourist spots.
Non-Chinese tourists largely prefer historical landmarks and museums.
45% of Chinese tourists prefer to visit natural scenic attractions.
41% of Chinese tourists like to visit theme parks, particularly married couples born in the 1980s, who typically bring their children during holidays, as well as those born in the 1990s, who often travel with friends.
A rising wave of global tourists from India and Indonesia will be following the China wave.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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