Read our latest update on the Chinese travel market
1. Momentum continues to build in China as the industry slowly recovers and Chinese product teams plan itineraries for this summer. Now is a great time to reengage with old trade contacts and to deliver product training to the brand new staff who have recently joined.
2. Young Free and Independent Travellers (FITs) are back exploring Southeast Asia, ‘armed with apps and with more than enough funds to go it alone after three years at home’ according to China Travel News. Local food and experiences are high on the agenda, as is the opportunity to enrichen their social media.
3. We can assume that the trends we start to see in short haul destinations will transfer into long haul over the next few months. So we are keeping a close eye on booking and travel behaviours.
4. The wild card is politics. Things are pretty fractious, particularly in the US-China relationship following this month’s balloon saga.
5. Guangzhou international airport has announced that the number of overseas destinations served has already recovered to 50% of the pre-Covid number within a month of the border opening.
6. The EU has announced it will drop its pre-departure Covid testing of Chinese arrivals, by the end of this month and cease random sampling by mid March, as have the other non-EU Schengen zone countries. No news from the UK yet.
7. China’s Peace Proposal was delivered this week on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Ostensibly, the plan was fairly non-specific in the end and China continues to position itself as neutral, whilst also condemning the sending of weapons to Ukraine. You can read the BBC’s interpretation of events at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-64754510
8. Thank you to David Edwards from Scattered Clouds for sharing with UKinbound members travel intent data from April ‘22 asking travellers from different countries whether they would consider travelling to the UK during the next 5 years. China came in third with a massive 81% of respondents saying they would consider the UK. Hong Kong came next with 77%.
9. Little Red Book has launched a web version. Previously, it was a mobile app only. So, from now on, its content will be indexed by Baidu (and other Chinese search engines). It also means that users of LRB can now experience the platform in more ways and this will further augment its already storming popularity. Read more about Little Red Book.
10. Finally for this week, COTTM – China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market has announced 2023 dates and will be held in Beijing from 15-17 November 2023 and, don’t forget ITB China returns to Shanghai 12-14 September.