- Mid to high-star hotels drive consumption
- Chinese travellers are seeking destinations beyond key
capitals with a focus on lesser-known destinations
- Top outbound destinations are in APAC: Japan, Thailand, South
Korea
- European long-haul travel is up almost 30%, with
multi-destination trips above the global average length of
stay.
SHANGHAI, Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As millions of
Chinese travellers prepare for the upcoming Golden Week holiday in
October, Trip.com Group's latest data reveals notable travel flows
for their last major travel period of 2024. Already, the Group is
witnessing hotel bookings peak in arrivals on October 1st – the day the holiday
commences - with the average length of stays over seven days, as
workers can enjoy a 10-day break by taking just two days off. Total
booking growth for stays has also grown year-on-year.
High-Quality, Mid-Tier Stays Thrive
When it comes to travel costs, the top outbound destinations
(Japan, Thailand, South
Korea, Malaysia,
Vietnam, Singapore, the
Philippines, Australia, the
UK, and the USA) have all seen a
significant drop in average air ticket prices (including taxes).
Travellers increasingly seek high-quality, mid-tier accommodation
types. However, in Europe,
year-on-year growth of 5-star hotel bookings was almost three times
higher than in Asia-Pacific.
Long-Haul Destinations on the Rise, Visa Applications
Surge
A significant shift towards long-haul destinations can be seen
this year, with Australia,
the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain topping the list of most sought-after
long-haul destinations by Chinese travellers. Long-haul flights
have seen an increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
European destinations like the United
Kingdom, Spain,
Germany, and Italy are seeing significantly longer stays,
surpassing 10 to 14 days.
Interestingly, in Europe, more
than 30% choose multi-destination itineraries, reflecting a growing
trend to maximise long-haul travel. Meanwhile, in Asia Pacific, nearly 80% of Chinese travellers
opt for single-destination trips.
Additionally, travellers plan further in advance, with visa
applications submitted an average of 68 days before the holiday—29
days earlier than last year. The top countries for National Day
visa applications include Japan,
South Korea, Australia, the
United States, Vietnam,
New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain.
Lesser Known Destinations Spark Travel Flows in Europe and Asia
With overtourism as one of the challenges for key destinations
around the world, Chinese travellers have increasingly been drawn
to quieter, off-the-beaten-path locations this Golden Week. This is
so particularly in the Asia-Pacific and Europe regions.
Japanese cities off the main circuit of Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto,
like Yokohama, Takayama and Ito,
showed three-digit booking growth, underscoring this trend.
Additionally, nature and wellness tourism saw a rise, with Phu Quoc
Islands in Vietnam and the hot
spring town of Higashiizu in Japan
becoming popular for their scenic landscapes and wellness
experiences.
European destinations such as Granada and Seville also captured significant attention,
with a 260% and 144% rise in bookings, respectively, reflecting a
desire for greater cultural and historical immersion beyond key
capitals.
Concerts and Live Entertainment Fuel Tourism Charge
Live entertainment is playing a pivotal role in travel trends
this season, with key concerts and events in the Asia-Pacific region happening during the
October holiday. Moreover, over 75% of tourists visiting the APAC
region are millennials, who have shown strong interest in events
and concerts.
Around the holiday period, popular K-pop artists such as Taemin
and Taeyang will captivate audiences in Hong Kong, alongside international acts such
as John Legend and Ne-Yo. In Bangkok, girl group Aespa is a draw, while in
South Korea, Busan's Festival Shiwol blends
entertainment, culture, and business in a massive event expected to
draw 450,000 visitors.
In Singapore, hotels within 3km
of concert venues have experienced a 214% increase in unique views
compared to those farther away, as tourists seek proximity to
venues such as Singapore Indoor Stadium, Gateway Theatre, and
Capitol Theatre, where major concerts are scheduled.
Cross-border Surge in Inbound Tourism
The growth rate of inbound tourism has also been encouraging,
with an increase in bookings. 9 out of 10 of the top outbound
destinations were also the top inbound source markets, highlighting
the two-way nature between outbound and inbound tourism for
China.
This year, Thailand and
Singapore, both offering mutual
visa exemptions with China, ranked
third and fifth respectively in inbound tourism.
Overlapping in part with Golden Week, Trip.com has also launched
two tour routes for its Shanghai Express free layover tours
initiative, enriching the travel experience for international
passengers with transits of over 8 hours in Shanghai. It has launched a limited-time "Art
& Culture Immersion Tour" from September
23 to October 6, an engaging journey through Shanghai's cultural landmarks, including the
Shanghai World Expo Museum, the Dunhuang exhibition in the China
Art Museum and "Old Shanghai" Alley 1192. It has also upgraded the
"Local Lifestyle City Walk Tour" with stops such as Wukang Road and
Wuzhong Market. Since its launch earlier this year, the initiative
has successfully served over 3,000 tourists. Find out more about
Shanghai Express tours.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider
comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across
its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the
world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products
and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with
users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related
content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform
consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres.
Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in
2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known
travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect
trip for a better world". Find out more
about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.
Follow us on: X, Facebook, LinkedIn,
and YouTube.
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2514159/image_5004521_45960872.jpg
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2514178/image_5004521_45960903.jpg
Logo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1026638/Trip_com_Group_Logo.jpg
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tripcom-group-highlights-golden-week-2024-travel-shifts-chinese-tourists-explore-beyond-capitals-and-lesser-known-options-302257183.html
