China lifts group travel ban to 70 more countries (#167)

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3 evolution of the profile of Chinese visitors

1. Chinese Gen Z and Y travelers prefer customised experiences. This is attested to by Ctrip, the first Chinese OTA (1.1 billion users), extending its offer in this regard on August 22 in honor of the Qixi festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day.
2. Chinese Gen Z and Y travelers prefer customised experiences. This is attested to by Ctrip, the first Chinese OTA (1.1 billion users), extending its offer in this regard on August 22 in honor of the Qixi festival, or Chinese Valentine's Day.
3. Chinese visitors, borne by Gen Z, appear to be adjusting their attitudes about rural tourism as they learn about rural towns, which are frequently branded by the OMT, consume local products, and go Glamping for a short period of time.

The easing of China's prohibition on group travel to 70 more countries could further strengthen the recovery in outbound tourism in China, even if new Chinese visitors, represented by Generation Z and Y, tend to travel less frequently in groups. One key tool for overseas destinations to get closer to their 2019 goals for welcoming Chinese tourists is the streamlining of procedures to reduce the amount of time needed to obtain a tourist visa, as is the case in Thailand, where it goes from 14 to 7 working days. On this list, Spain is now doing well in the European competition, capitalizing on China Spain's tourism and cultural year 2023, with a reception rate of 46% of Chinese tourists compared to 2019.

Three Chinese tourism trends have mostly been seen in China to date:

???Chinese Gen Z and Y are yearning for unique, experiential vacations (see Ctrip's Valentine's Day offerings in China).

???Is beer travel becoming more popular in China and among Chinese travelers abroad?

???Gen Z-influenced Chinese travelers appear to be shifting their perceptions on rural tourism.

Three numbers or issues are driving Chinese outbound tourism's

1. China lifts its ban on group travel to 70 more nations.
2. ???The battle among overseas sites to approach their 2019 targets for welcoming Chinese tourists is centered on the streamlining of procedures to reduce the amount of time needed to obtain a tourist visa.
3. ???Spain is the European champion in the summer of 2023, taking advantage of the year 2023 of tourism and culture between China and Spain, with a reception of 46% Chinese tourists compared to 2019.

3 trends in Chinese tourism

1. Chinese Gen Z and Y are looking for experiential and personalized travel

During the Qixi Festival (photo JD.com), the Chinese Valentine's Day on August 22, 2023, “Young consumers demand experiences rather than products as gifts. This includes fun activities, restaurant reservations and travel,” says Sory Park, marketing assistant at market research firm Daxue Consulting. "In response to this, Trip.com Group, as reported by Jing Daily, has expanded its offering to include a variety of experiential products, including personalized trips to scenic nature spots and campgrounds, as well as tickets to plane and bus.

2. Is beer travel becoming more popular in China and among Chinese travelers abroad?

According to Lin Xingyu, a specialist in cultural industry planning, the beer festival in Qingdao, one of the 50 that took place in China from July 7 to 23, is a lever for visitor visibility and economic contribution (10 billion, or €1.27 billion) "intellectual property" of local culture. Could Chinese travel and China as a whole be following this trend? This is also supported by the enthusiasm of Chinese visitors who have been visiting Beijing since 2013 or Kunming as part of the Oktoberfest China trip.

Could beer tourism, like wine tourism, help Chinese travelers travel abroad? To clarify the history of beer and the Qingdao Beer Festival.

3. Rural tourism in China, an underlying trend?

In these columns we mentioned, in March 2022, the fact that from 2021, increasingly young Chinese tourists, Gen Z, have chosen rural tourism, then, in July 2023, thanks to the advent of "Glamping" and the "changes in habits" of "customers who want to discover rural villages and consume local products" as indicated by Ada XU 徐玥 , European Manager of Fliggy . We can also mention Yucun, one of the four Chinese destinations to receive the #BestTourismVillages label awarded by the UNWTO.

Ma Xuanjun, a farmer who lives near Beipanjiang Bridge, located in Longjing Village of Liupanshui City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, has turned his newly built brick house into a hostel rural in 2019 and began to receive tourists from afar. "Before the construction of the bridge, it took four hours to climb the mountain to the city headquarters," he said. Today, his hostel is decorated with photos he took with Chinese and foreign tourists. “Many tourists visited our village for the bridge.

In the summer of 2023, there will be a 3 factor recovery in Chinese outbound tourism.

4/ China lifts its ban on group travel to 70 more nations.

While China has reopened its borders since January for individual travel by its nationals, it is only re-authorizing group travel in stages. After 22 countries on February 6 (including Switzerland), then France and 39 other regions and countries on March 15, the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, Belgium, Turkey are concerned. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism in a statement called on travel agencies and tourism service providers in China to resume the pace of marketing group travel for Chinese tourists abroad.

5/ Simplification and reduction of delays for obtaining a visa, a lever for boosting Chinese tourism and competition between world destinations

Thailand, which wishes to welcome 11 million Chinese tourists (2019 figures) as soon as possible, stands out for its action on the main obstacle to the arrival of Chinese tourists on its soil: conditions for obtaining tourist visas and reduces the standard visa approval time.

Measures to facilitate the procedure for Chinese tourists visiting the country translate into a reduction in the number of documents required for the visa application: passport, three photos, a plane ticket, a document declaring accommodation in Thailand, a document certifying their permanent residence, and their financial statements. The stated objective is to allow the visa application process to be shortened from 14 to 7 working days.

6/ In the summer of 2023, Chinese tourism in Spain reached 46% of the 2019 level

With 46% of its 2019 level, Chnois tourism in Europe is picking up again first in Spain thanks in particular to the year 2023 of tourism and Culture China Spain. Will the year 2024 of China France culture and tourism allow the latter to regain its seat as the 1st European destination for Chinese tourists? In the Chinese Tourism Newsletter July 20, were mentioned, in particular, the many events organized in Madrid by the Global Tourism Alliance and Turespa?a with the support of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Spanish Ministry of Industry. , trade and tourism, in which the vice president of Fliggy participated.

At the same time, as group travel bans are lifted, European countries are starting to welcome Chinese tourists again. This is particularly the case in Istanbul in Turkey where Wu Jian, Vice-Consul General of China in Istanbul, accompanied the 1st group of tourists to visit the main tourist sites which received an updated brochure in Chinese on the precautions notably , consulate phone numbers and road maps. Turkey wants to be part of the club of countries that welcome 1,000,000 Chinese tourists (426.000 in 2019) in the short term.