10 Things We Learned from Eye for Travel’s Chinese Travel Consumer Report 2017-2018

Eye for Travel’s Chinese Travel Consumer Report 2017-2018 offers a comprehensive picture of the market it says is “the primary growth engine for tourism boards, airlines, airport operators, hotel groups, OTAs, tourism service providers, restaurateurs, retailers and real estate developers on all continents.”

Information in the report comes from a number of statistical sources, and is complemented by insights from industry professionals, including Dragon Trail Interactive’s Managing Director – EMEA, Roy Graff, and Marketing Director, Michaela Mentasti. As well as looking at who in China is traveling and where they are going, with information on both the outbound and domestic market, the report pays considerable attention to how Chinese travelers are booking their trips, and which digital tools and online platforms are leading the way.

Here are 10 things we learned from reading the report:

1) 136 new airports will be built in China by 2025.

2) The 18-35 year old age group is significantly more likely to use a smartphone as their primary travel research device than older generations, and less likely to use a desktop computer.

3) 82% of Chinese overseas trips are to Asian countries.

4) The strongest growth markets for outbound travel in Europe are Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia. In Asia, it’s Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

5) Chinese consumers have shown little loyalty to destinations or to travel brands.

6) 30% of all time on mobile phones in China is spent using WeChat, and the average WeChat user spends nearly triple the amount of time on the platform every day as Facebook users spend on Facebook.

7) The primary booking tool for both flights and hotels in China is smartphones, and statistics on devices used to book these two kinds of travel products are nearly identical.

8) Nearly all Chinese outbound travelers visit at least one online price comparison site when planning their trip.

9) Almost a quarter of Chinese consumers say that spending on leisure travel is what makes them feel that their quality of life has improved.

10) As the Chinese outbound travel market grows and matures, it will become even more segmented.

Click here to access the full Eye for Travel Chinese Travel Consumer Report 2017-2018