On May 3, tourists flock to the Louvre Museum in Paris. (FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY)
Industry sources said overseas travel was popular for Chinese tourists during the recent May Day holiday, traveling to traditional hotspots such as Southeast Asia as well as niche destinations such as Saudi Arabia.
Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore were among the top 10 overseas destinations for Chinese travelers during the five-day holiday that lasted from May 1 to Sunday, with all three Southeast Asian countries having the largest number of Chinese tourists. This is due to the introduction of visa-free entry. According to Beijing-based online travel agency Qunar, visitors say:
Kunal said the total number of international flight ticket and international hotel bookings during the May Day holiday were both record highs on the platform.
Saudi Arabia, Spain, Hungary, France, Austria and Italy saw significant year-on-year increases in the number of travel product bookings. Additionally, some Chinese tourists have booked trips to Murmansk, Russia. Athens and Santorini, Greece. The agency said the same was true for several smaller cities in Spain and Portugal.
“In traditionally popular international destinations such as Japan, France, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Chinese travelers are no longer satisfied with simple sightseeing and are increasingly exploring small towns in depth,” Qunar said. Big data researcher Xiao Peng says. research Institute.
The Chinese tourists arrived in France's Burgundy region, famous for its wine growing, and in Otaru, Japan, where the Japanese blockbuster movie “Love Letter” was filmed. Hsiao said they also visited Zermatt, Switzerland, which is a year-round ski resort, and Recife, Brazil, the hometown of former soccer player Rivaldo.
According to online travel agency Tuniu, overseas tours with small groups and flexible schedules are popular among Chinese travelers, with self-guided tours preferred for short trips and group tours preferred for longer trips. .
For example, Tuniu found that travelers primarily booked packages that included both flights and hotels and took self-guided tours in places such as the Maldives, Bali, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan.
Cruises were also popular with Chinese consumers during the May Day holiday. Tuniu said many sailings from Shanghai to Fukuoka, Japan, and from Shanghai to Okinawa, Japan, were nearly full.
Meanwhile, since Saudi Arabia was officially listed as a tourist destination for overseas group tours for Chinese tourists last year, this niche destination has attracted the attention of a growing number of Chinese tourists. As part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the country aims to attract 3 million Chinese tourists annually by 2030, backed by significant growth in the tourism sector, according to the Saudi Tourism Authority.
The authority also promotes local travel resources in the Middle East on Chinese social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu and Douyin, providing customized content and experiences for Chinese tourists.
Saudia, the Saudi national airline, is expanding its route network connecting Saudi Arabia to major destinations around the world. In August, Saudia launched direct flights between Jeddah and Beijing. Until now, Saudia's only destination in China was Guangzhou, Guangdong province.
“We play a key role in the Kingdom’s economic transformation and the realization of Vision 2030, and we remain committed to sustaining this growth trajectory and continuing to elevate Saudia as a symbol of hospitality.” Marketing Director Khaled Tash said.
Meanwhile, Hunan TV's popular travel reality show “Diva Hit the Road” has featured Saudi Arabia in recent seasons. It attracts many young Chinese tourists by introducing the peninsula's beautiful sightseeing spots, gourmet food, and the domestic expansion of Chinese companies.
Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines recently launched a new route between Beijing and Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh. The debut flight departed from Beijing Daxing International Airport on April 16, using an Airbus A330 aircraft, and marked the launch of the first scheduled direct passenger flight from mainland China to Saudi Arabia by a domestic airline.
“China and Saudi Arabia are experiencing increasingly close economic and trade exchanges. The opening of the Beijing Daxing-Riyadh route represents deepening cooperation between the two countries in economic, cultural, tourism and other fields.” said Zhang Dongsheng, deputy marketing manager. At China Southern Airlines.
“This route will greatly promote people-to-people, economic and trade exchanges between China and Saudi Arabia, and help build a more convenient air bridge for mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples,” Zhang said. Stated.
Currently, China Southern Airlines operates eight direct flights between Beijing Daxing and cities participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, including Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. It is scheduled to soon launch a flight between Beijing Daxing and Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The airline said it will continue to launch new flights connecting China with cities in the Belt and Road Economic Zone and add frequencies to existing flights. Providing more convenient air options will help build air routes for China-foreign economic trade exchanges and international logistics, further increasing its contribution to this effort.
The surge in travel demand has fueled the growth of the air travel market. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the total number of passenger trips handled within China in the first quarter reached nearly 180 million, including domestic and international flights.
The figure was the highest for the first quarter, an increase of 37.7% on an annual basis, and an increase of 10.2% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, CAAC said.
Specifically, the number of domestic passenger trips from January to March was 160 million, an increase of 14.3% compared to the 2019 level, and the number of international passenger trips was 14.1 million, an increase of 14.3% compared to 2019 levels. CAAC revealed that the number has recovered to 78% of the previous figure.
The global air travel market is also showing strong growth momentum.
The International Air Transport Association recently released data for March showing that total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, increased by 13.8% compared to March 2023. Passenger load factor in March was 82%.
“Travel demand is strong and there is every indication that this will continue into the peak summer travel season in the northern hemisphere. It is important that we have the ability to meet this demand and ensure a hassle-free travel experience for our passengers. '' he said. Willie Walsh, IATA Director General.
“That means moving forward with urgency to resolve supply chain issues and ensure airports and air traffic management are fully staffed and operating at maximum efficiency,” Walsh said.
In particular, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region continued to lead the way in March, with demand increasing 38.5% year-on-year. According to IATA, capacity increased by 37.4 percent year-on-year and load factor rose to 85.6 percent, the highest among all regions.
