Checking the Pulse of China’s Tourism Ambitions

The global impact of Chinese tourism creates frequent headlines. As the week-long Chinese National Day holiday draws near, the world’s media is moving into overdrive. One critical driver of China’s travel revolution often goes overlooked, however. The Chinese government has carefully planned and managed the development of domestic and outbound travel. It views views the tourism sector as both a pillar of both national economic growth and international strategic influence.

Consequently, it is spending big. By 2020, tourism investment in China is slated to reach RMB2 trillion, according to the State Council, and contribute around 12% of GDP. Taken together, Chinese domestic, inbound and outbound tourism could surpass RMB6 trillion in value in 2017, and RMB7 trillion by 2020, according to the China Tourism Academy and Tuniu, an online travel agency.

Check-in Asia’s Gary Bowerman has been advising clients on Chinese domestic and outbound tourism since 2004, and is the author of The New Chinese Traveler: Business Opportunity from the Chinese Travel Revolution, plus detailed reports on China’s tourism economy. Here, he selects 5 recent media stories highlighting the role of central planning for developing and promoting Chinese tourism.

1)  6m Chinese set to travel abroad during Golden Week

The week-long Chinese National Day public holiday, from 1-8 October, is eagerly anticipated at home and abroad. This peak travel season could witness 650 million Chinese holidaymakers at home and abroad. While the vast majority will vacation in China, six million holidaymakers could head overseas.

2) China vows to turn itself into a world tourism power by 2040

China has enacted legislation covering all aspects of travel and tourism, but what is the ultimate goal? In an interview during the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu, the Chairman of China’s National Tourism Administration sets out plans to be “a highly intensive world tourism power by 2040.”

3) China’s airlines handle 363 million passengers in January-August, up 12.6%

China’s Big 3 airlines have benefited from strong state support to expand their operations, both within and beyond China. For January-August 2017, 363 million passengers flew on a Chinese airline, up 12.6% year on year. Domestic routes accounted for 326 million passengers, with 36.92 million people flying on international routes.

4) Bullet trains take aim at short-haul flights

Since 2007, China has rolled out more than 20,000km of  high-speed rail network. Its bullet trains are now challenging airlines for passengers airlines, with journeys of less than 1,000 kilometres being the most competitive market segment.

5) Here’s why China is much ahead of India in tourism

While tourism in India is booming, it still lags far behind China. From infrastructure investment to transport connectivity and safety and security, The Economic Times presents its five critical takes for the disparity.

For fresh insights about China’s fast-changing tourism landscape, check out our new China Outbound report for Mintel. This detailed report looks at the projected areas of expansion in Chinese travel. It also assesses the next phase of market diversification, as travellers from China’s new wave of holidaymakers takes flight from the lower-tier cities.

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