Here’s Jing Travel’s weekly guide to stories that give insight into Chinese travel trends and how they affect the industry’s main players.
LOCAL GROWTH
Chinese museums demonstrated strong growth according to Aecom’s Theme and Museum Index 2018. Twelve of the top 20 museums in Asia-Pacific were in Mainland China with attendance growing an average of four percent year-on-year. While the National Museum of China’s top spot (8.6 million visitors) is of little surprise, the trend extended across the country and ties into the shifting travel habits of Chinese tourist away from shopping and toward culture. Chinese citizens made more than 1 billion museum visits last year during domestic and international trips.
SWEET ESCAPE
Sixty-seven percent of outbound Chinese travelers take gastronomic holidays, according to Destination Market Insights: Western Europe. Chinese travelers see eating regional cuisine as a means of sampling local culture and the report recommends emphasizing provincial differences to reduce overcrowding and enhance experiences. Austria and Italy are set to be the greatest beneficiaries of this foodie trend in the coming five years, with 8.5% and 7.8% growth expected respectively.
ON LOCATION
When it comes to WeChat, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board remains the strongest U.S. DMO. Since April, The city’s HelloLA_cn account has consistently placed in the top 3 of Dragon Trail’s “Overseas DMOs WeChat ranking.” The key to LA’s success is a steady stream of posts, an average of four per week, and incorporating in-depth, quirky content. This week, for example, HelloLA_cn detailed Charlie Chaplin’s LA and profiled restaurants, hotels, and museums in which the legacy of the great actor lives on.
ANIMAL PLANET
Ctrip signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with World Wide Fund for Nature China, May 16. The move follows pledges made by Ctrip at the Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade 2018 and sees the launch of a series of eco-tourism initiatives. Green tourism in China is both a government priority and a growing consumer trend. “The National Ecotourism Development Plan (2016-2025)” offers guidance for the domestic industry as Chinese travelers increasingly seek to enjoy nature and avoid crowds.
