China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
Press Release
Heide (Germany) /Beijing (China), December 16th 2011
Chinese Outbound Tourism Trends for the Third Quarter of 2011
Chinese Tourism Analysis Released by CTA China Tourism Academy and Ctrip
Chinese outbound tourism has grown rapidly throughout 2011 and third quarter analysis shows
that this growth is not faltering. Visa services are found to be the key factor when Chinese
travellers choose a destination. The top locations for Chinese travellers are still based in East
Asia, with Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea being the three most visited. However, figures
for other countries are promising, with the USA as the fifth most popular destination. „Self-
guided‟ travellers are favouring nearby locations, yet Hawaii also ranks in the top ten for this
type of traveller. For city destinations, Rome is ranked in the top ten favourites, all others being
located in East Asia. Island destinations are becoming more and more popular, the top three
locations being Phuket, Bali and the Maldives.
The China Tourism Academy (CTA) in Beijing and Ctrip, China's leading online travel agency,
have studied Chinese outbound tourism statistics for the third quarter of 2011, as well as the
bookings and turnover obtained by Ctrip. From their analysis, they have generated lists that
rank the major facets of Chinese outbound travel. They have also provided further analysis of
changes in trends for the first three quarters of 2011, in comparison to the previous year.
The report was published in Chinese, translated and edited by COTRI China Outbound Tourism
Research Institute, based in Heide (Germany) and Beijing (China).
Top Ten Destinations of Chinese Outbound Travellers
1 Hong Kong
2 Macau
3 South Korea
4 Malaysia
5 USA
6 Japan
7 Thailand
8 Taiwan
9 Singapore
10 Russia
COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
Contact: research@china-outbound.com
Top Ten Most Popular Island Destinations
1 Phuket Island
2 Bali
3 The Maldives
4 Jeju Island
5 Hawaii
6 Sabah
7 Okinawa
8 Boracay
9 Saipan
10 Mauritius
Top Ten Most Popular Destinations for Self-Guided Tours
1 Hong Kong
2 Phuket Island
3 Maldives
4 Bali
5 Singapore
6 Hawaii
7 Seoul
8 Tokyo
9 Sabah
10 Cambodia
Top Ten Most Popular Destination Cities
1 Hong Kong
2 Bangkok
3 Seoul
4 Singapore
5 Tokyo
6 Taipei
7 Osaka
8 Kuala Lumpur
9 Macau
10 Rome
COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
Contact: research@china-outbound.com
Top Ten Destinations for which Tourists have Chosen Travel Insurance
1 Europe
2 Taiwan
3 Malaysia
4 Australia
5 Vietnam
6 South Korea
7 Philippines
8 Bali
9 Thailand
10 USA
Top Ten Most Popular Airlines for Outbound Travel
1 China Eastern Airline /
Shanghai Airlines
2 Cathay Pacific Airways /
Hong Kong Dragon
Airlines
3 Hong Kong Airlines /
Hong Kong Express
4 Air China
5 Asiana Airlines
6 Singapore Airlines
7 Juneyao Airlines
8 China Southern
9 Air Macau
10 Korean Air
Analysis of the First Three Quarters of 2011
The market demand remains strong; the number of outbound travellers from China
is growing rapidly.
Although there have been many catastrophes and emergencies throughout 2011, the demand
for outbound travel is still pushing the fast growth of the market. In the third quarter of 2011,
the number of outbound trips by Chinese tourists reached 19.38 million, which means a growth
of 26%. The growth in the number of Chinese travellers to Asia was 28%, to the Americas 31%,
to Europe 25%, to Africa 15%, and to other regions a vast 72%.
COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
Contact: research@china-outbound.com
Emergencies led to a decline in the number of tourists travelling to Japan, visa
policies have been relaxed to release the market potential.
Natural disasters led to a decline in the number of tourists travelling to Japan, in particular the
catastrophe that occurred in March 2011, which has had a continued effect on market
confidence. However, in reaction to this decline Japan has relaxed its visa policy for Chinese
tourists, in order to increase the market potential. On 1st July 2011, the Japanese government
extended the regions where Chinese citizens can travel to with their visas for individual travel.
Since September, the Japanese have also softened the terms for granting visas for individual
travel to Chinese tourists, erasing the requirement of “being in a certain occupational status and
economic condition”; they have also extended the maximum length of stay from 15 days to 30
days. Yet despite these alterations, the decrease in the number of tourists to Japan in 2011
remains large, a decline of 26% compared with the same period in 2010.
In South Korea, the Ministry of Justice released the “Standard concept of relaxing the visa of
Chinese tourists” on 2nd July 2011. The concept expands the number of regions where the visa
for “multiple entrances within a year” can be applied. Driven by factors such as visa changes,
the growth of Chinese tourists to South Korea in the third quarter of 2011 reached 27% in
respect to 2010.
For Taiwan, the policy allowing individual travellers to enter is at the substantial phase of
implementation. Passenger flights between the two sides of the Straits have increased on a
large scale, and the number of travellers to Taiwan is increasing rapidly. Chinese tourists
travelling to Taiwan in the third quarter marked a growth of 12%, compared with the same
period in 2010.
Study trips increased during summer vacation, coastal regions and summer resorts
have been hot spots.
The third quarter of 2011 found increases in particular types of travel. Study trips increased
during the summer vacation and the period found destinations for study trips such as the USA,
Hong Kong, and so on, more popular. For example, the increase in trips to the USA in the third
quarter of 2011 was 34%, and to Hong Kong 25%; Ctrip has successfully organized many of
these study trips for Chinese people. Coastal regions and summer resorts have been hot spots
during the summer period, partially because of the island countries‟ enhanced promotion to
Chinese consumers. The number of tourists going to coastlines in the third quarter of 2011 has
grown remarkably; for example, the increase in Chinese tourist numbers to Thailand was over
47%, and trips to Malaysia reached a massive 87%. Ctrip has found in the third quarter of 2011
that Phuket Island, Bali, the Maldives, and Jeju Island have been very popular destinations,
mainly because of convenient visa processes and easy travel routes.
COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
Contact: research@china-outbound.com
The relaxation of visa processes causes individual travel to increase rapidly.
Outbound travel for personal development has become the greatest motivation for travellers
from China, with 92% naming this as their purpose, and so it is certainly the major driving force
for the massive increase in the number of Chinese tourists abroad. Amongst the Chinese people
travelling abroad for private reasons, the percentage of individual tourists has been constantly
increasing. The relaxation of visa processes has been a large factor in the rapid increase in the
number of „individual travellers‟ from China.
Visa processes are clearly the decisive factor for the growth in individual trips. The most popular
destinations for self-guided tours by Ctrip are all destinations with simple visa requirements and
simplified visa conditions. Since the third quarter of 2011, many countries besides Japan and
South Korea have simplified their visa requirements for Chinese tourists. For example, the
government of the Republic of Ireland has begun to implement its “Irish Short Stay visa waiver
programme”. The application procedure for tourism visas to New Zealand has also been
improved and applicants are now allowed to submit their documents in Chinese.
Service improvements have also become an important driving force for the
development of outbound tourism.
To meet the demands of increasing numbers of Chinese tourists, every destination has been
increasing the number of direct flights and improving their services. During the third quarter,
Korean Air opened a direct route between Gimpo and Beijing; meanwhile, regular direct flights
from China to Hawaii have also begun operating. Air France is gradually offering Chinese
passengers ground services in Chinese, Chinese broadcasts, employing Chinese flight
attendants as translators, providing Chinese food on flights and so on.
On the ground, Spain has put forward the “Spain Tourism China Plan”, within which efforts are
being made such as establishing more tourism offices in China, publishing travel guides in
Chinese, and developing more products aimed at Chinese tourists. The Australian state of
Victoria has announced it will start a “10 years plan of China tourism development”, which is
expected to enhance their position in the Chinese outbound tourism market. Hilton and
Starwood hotel groups are planning to have at least one Chinese-speaking employee in the
majority of their hotels, and to put teapots and slippers in each room, as well as supplying
Chinese breakfast and chopsticks, all key services for Chinese customers.
The Joint Venture Agency has stepped into the outbound tourism business.
The instigation of outbound tourism business by the Joint Venture Agency has brought the
„Catfish Effect‟, making other smaller businesses compete more for their position in the market.
JTB New Century International Tour has started organising outbound trips for Chinese travellers
on 25th August, with travel routes concentrated in the six counties of Northeast Japan.
Word Count: 1,492
COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute
Contact: research@china-outbound.com