Outbound ticket reservation is on fire. And the recovery trend of outbound tourism of Chinese tourists is inspiring. World Tourism Organization announced on February 23 that China’s resumption of outbound tourism has had a positive impact on the recovery of the global tourism industry.
According to World Tourism Organization, China was the world’s largest tourism market before the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the data of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, China’s domestic tourists was 6.01 billion in 2019. At that point, tourism was making itself an important driver of employment and economic growth. In the same year, Chinese tourists made 166 million international trips, with a total tourism expenditure of US $270 billion. Most of the tourist destinations were developing economies.
The resumption of outbound tourism brings about the peak of outbound ticket booking
According to Ctrip, it is more than two months before the ‘May Day’ holiday. Many tourists have begun to plan long distance travel. The first peak of outbound travel booking has arrived after the year. As of February 21, the number of domestic outbound ticket orders this week has increased by 30% compared with last week. The top 10 cities of popular outbound destinations are Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Taipei, London, etc.
According to Ctrip, as of February 21, the average price of one-way ticket including tax for outbound flights during the ‘May Day’ period was 3022 yuan. It’s down 51% from the same period last year. From the top 50 overseas destinations of ticket orders, the top 10 destinations with preferential ticket prices are Phnom Penh, Cartilan, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Cebu and Chiang Mai. Among them, the Philippine cities occupy four seats.
Preferential air ticket prices attract tourists
Ctrip said that the Philippines currently has more flights among overseas destinations, and the discount of airlines is large. During the ‘May Day’ period, the air ticket to and from Manila in Quanzhou is as low as 1539 yuan. Meanwhile, the air ticket to and from Manila in Guangzhou is as low as 1690 yuan.
Inbound and outbound tourism will return to the top 30% to 40% before the epidemic
According to the prediction of the China Tourism Research Institute, the number of inbound and outbound tourists will return to 30% to 40% before the epidemic in 2023. There are four factors that restrict the development of inbound and outbound tourism market. Among them, long-distance transportation is the most important constraint. At present, the recovery of flights is still at the initial stage. Only when scheduled flights are back to normal can outbound travel recover.
The second major factor affecting the development of outbound tourism is the reshaping of the supply chain of tourism destinations. Tourism is a way of life in different places. It takes time to recall the lost tourism practitioners during the epidemic. In addition, the docking between travel suppliers and travel agents also takes time. The third factor is the attention of Chinese tourists to safety and quality. The fourth factor is that people with travel time need a process of recovering their disposable income as well as their willingness to travel.
Deep Digital China will continue to report on trends on outbound tourism. Contact us if you need a solid plan to attract Chinese tourists.